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^^  HISTORY 

OF 


MICHIGAN 


BY 

CHARLES   MOORE 


ILLUSTRATED 


VOLUME  IV 


CHICAGO 

THE  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
1915 


tn 


THi  Mw  tow: 


j/iwyd^n  dlA  Mj^MA/) 


History  of  Michigan 


Alexander  Dodds.  It  has  been  asserted  that  the  commencement 
of  civihzation  is  the  discovery  of  some  of  the  useful  arts  or  sciences 
through  which  men  acquire  fortune,  comforts  or  kixuries,  while  the 
necessity  or  desire  of  preserving  them  leads  to  laws  and  social  insti- 
tutions. In  reality,  however,  the  origin,  as  well,  as  the  advancement  and 
improvement  of  society,  is  based  on  mechanical  and  chemical  inventions, 
in  connection  with  which  Alexander  Dodds,  of  Grand  Rapids,  has  be- 
come one  of  Michigan's  best  known  citizens.  As  inventor,  organizer, 
promoter  and  executive  he  has  shown  himself  capable,  far-seeing  and 
energetic,  and  while  he  has  found  no  time  for  public  life,  has  always 
demonstrated  a  commendable  willingness  to  perform  the  duties  of  public- 
spirited  citizenship. 

Mr.  Dodds  was  born  December  8,  1845,  ^t  Gouverneur,  New  York. 
His  grandfather,  also  named  Alexander  Dodds,  was  born  in  1770,  near 
the  village  of  Kelso,  on  the  banks  of  the  River  Tweed,  Scotland,  and  at 
the  age  of  twenty-four  years  was  married  to  Jane  Wilson,  who  bore 
him  five  children :  Katherine,  Margaret,  Andrew,  John  and  Alexander. 
Shortly  after  their  marriage  they  began  to  make  plans  to  emigrate  to 
the  land  of  promise  across  the  water,  but  Mr.  Dodds  was  for  six  months 
a  mere  farm  laborer  at  about  twenty-five  dollars  per  month,  a  salary 
hardly  conducive  to  great  saving,  and  it  was  not  until  the  spring  of 
1833  that  enough  money  was  accumulated  for  the  family  to  make  the 
voyage.  After  a  six  weeks'  journey  on  a  sailing  vessel  they  arrived,  in 
May,  in  St.  Lawrence  county,  New  York,  and  purchased  a  farm  two 
and  one-half  miles  from  the  village  of  Gouverneur.  They  lived  to  see 
all  their  children  settled  on  good  farms,  the  mother  passing  away  in 
October.  1857,  and  the  father  in  January,  1864.  About  the  year  1835 
another  family  left  Berwick,  Scotland,  for  this  country  by  the  name  of 
Witherston,  and,  getting  lost  on  the  voyage,  were  thirteen  weeks  on  the 
high  seas  before  sighting  a  vessel  from  which  to  get  their  bearings.  They 
also  settled  in  St.  Lawrence  county,  New  York,  and  one  of  the  daughters, 
Jeanette,  married  the  son,  John  Dodds,  and  with  him  took  possession  of 
"the  old  homestead.  To  them  were  born  three  children :  Jane  Elizabeth, 
Alexander  and  William  Atkin. 

Alexander  Dodds,  of  Grand  Rapids,  was  given  a  good  common  school 
education  in  his  boyhood,  and  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  or  nearly 
so,  when  he  started  to  work  at  the  trade  of  machinist.  In  February, 
1867,  he  was  converted,  but  could  not  conceive  the  teachings  of  the 
Bible  as  taught  by  the  church  of  his  fathers,  the  Scotch  Presbyterian. 
and  accordingly  became  a  Baptist  and  united  with  that  faith  to  do  Chris- 
tian work.  He  came  to  Lansing,  Alichigan,  in  December,  1867,  in  com- 
pany with  L.  L.  Houghton,  who  commenced  the  manufacture  of  wood- 

1759 


1760  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

working  machinery  at  that  place,  and  while  a  resident  there  was  raised 
to  the  sublime  degree  of  blaster  ^lason.  Mr.  Dodds  came  to  Grand 
Rapids  in  Alay,  1878.  and  went  to  work  for  the  Buss  Machine  Works, 
and  at  this  time  united  with  the  Fountain  Street  Baptist  church  and 
remained  with  that  organization  until  1883,  when,  with  a  number  of 
others,  he  formed  the  Second  Baptist  church.  He  was  interested  with 
them  in  the  Sixth  Ward  Baptist  Mission  school,  and,  it  proving  a  suc- 
cess, it  was  thought  best  that  a  church  should  be  organized  there,  and 
with  t\yenty-five  from  the  Second  Baptist  church,  and  a  few  others, 
Scribner  Street  church  was  organized  and  he  was  elected  one  of  the 
deacons.  He  is  also  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  school  of  the  adult  Bible 
class,  of  which  there  are  more  than  thirty  members  present  every  Sab- 
bath, and  is  ex-president  of  the  Baptist  Alission  society. 

On  March  3,  1882,  Mr.  Dodds  purchased  a  half  interest  in  a  machine 
shop  at  the  corner  of  Front  and  Pearl  streets,  on  the  second  floor,  owned 
by  the  late  Charles  A.  Whittemore,  and  on  May  9th  of  the  following 
year  he  bought  the  remaining  half  interest.  The  year  1883  did  not  prove 
a  very  successful  one,  for  in  June  came  the  great  freshet,  which  will 
be  remembered  as  the  time  when  the  logs  went  out,  taking  Pearl  street 
bridge  on  a  trip  down  the  river.  This  caused  a  delay  for  lack  of  power 
for  six  weeks,  as  the  shop  was  operated  by  water  power,  and,  coming 
at  a  time  when  money  was  scarce,  proved  detrimental  to  successful  busi- 
ness. On  July  9,  1884,  in  order  to  get  on  the  ground  floor  and  thus  to 
secure  better  power,  Mr.  Dodds  moved  into  what  was  then  known  as 
the  G.  W.  Dean  building,  located  on  the  east  side  of  Canal  street,  opposite 
the  Berkey  &  Gay  Furniture  Co.  Things  moved  along  very  nicely  until 
AJarch  16.  1887,  when  about  thirty  feet  of  embankment  between  Canal 
street  and  the  river  gave  away,  washing  in  through  under  the  shop 
building  and  allowing  it  to  all  cave  in.  Xothing  daunted,  Mr.  Dodds 
at  once  began  to  get  his  machinery  out  of  the  wreck  and  to  find  a  place 
to  set  it  up  in  operation  again.  During  the  day  he  had  some  business  to 
dispose  of  at  the  Grand  Rapids  Savings  Bank,  then  situate4  on  Pearl 
street,  and  at  the  bank  had  a  conversation  with  the  late  C.  G.  Swens- 
berg  concerning  what  had  occurred.  At  the  time  Mr.  Swensberg  made 
the  remark :  "Well,  Dodds.  anything  that  I  can  do  for  you  or  that  this 
little  bank  can  do  we  are  ready  to  do."  Mr.  Dodds  thanked  him  for  his 
kindness,  but  nothing  more  was  said  at  the  time,  and  the  next  morning, 
while  Mr.  Dodds  was  working  at  getting  out  the  machinery,  F.  A.  Hall, 
then  cashier  of  the  bank,  came  to  him  and  said  that  he  did  not  know  as 
he  had  understood  what  Mr.  Swensberg  had  said  the  day  before,  but 
that  they  wished  him  to  know  that  he  could  have  all  the  money  he  needed 
to  get  started.  Although  he  did  not  expect  to  need  any  help,  this  cir- 
cumstance gave  Mr.  Dodds  more  courage  and  confidence  than  any  one 
thing  that  had  happened.  During  that  day  Julius  Berkey  kindly  offered 
to  rent  him  a  part  of  the  George  W.  Gay  building,  where  he  was  manu- 
facturing tripods  at  that  time,  and  after  moving  there,  getting  fairly 
started,  and  seeing  that  the  tripod  business  was  growing,  he  knew  he 
would  have  to  seek  other  quarters.  Deciding  that  No.  43  South  Front 
street  offered  favoring  advantages,  he  leased  the  ground  from  the  late 
J.  W.  Converse  and  commenced  the  erection  of  a  one-story  building. 
28x60  feet  in  dimensions,  into  which  he  moved  on  May  3rd.  The 
demand  for  the  machinery  manufactured  by  Mr.  Dodds  had  increased 
to  such  an  extent  by  the  spring  of  1892  tjiat  it  was  apparent  that  more 
room  was  needed,  and  October  19,  1892.  ]\Ir.  Dodds  succeeded  in  con- 
cluding negotiations  with  Wilder  D.  Stevens  for  that  part  of  the  Dean 
propertv  on  which  was  located  the  building.  26x94  feet,  four  stories  in 
lieight,  and   including  water  power  equipment.     After  expending  over 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1761 

$i,00O  on  the  building,  Mr.  Dodds  moved  into  it,  feeling  that  he  was 
now  situated  comfortably,  with  machinery,  premises  and  accommoda- 
tions in  first-class  order.  Business  continued  to  prosper  until  June,  1S93, 
when  it  seemed  as  though  everyone  who  was  indebted  to  the  firm  had 
concluded  to  make  an  assignment  under  the  pressure  of  the  hard  times 
of  that  period,  but  through  his  capable  management  and  excellent  finan- 
cial ability,  Mr.  Dodds  managed  to  weather  the  stomi,  discounting  his 
commercial  paper  when  due  and  paying  his  employes  every  Saturday 
night. 

As  business  revived  and  public  confidence  was  restored,  the  manu- 
facture of  special  machinery  prospered.  Orders  increased  to  such  an 
extent  eventually  that  more  room  became  necessary,  and  in  1907  the 
fine  four-story  brick  building  at  No.  181  Canal  street  was  built  over 
the  canal.  This  enabled  Mr.  Dodds  to  double  his  capacity  and  add  to 
his  equipment  and  output.  In  1909  the  business  was  merged  into  a  cor- 
poration, and  since  December  i,  1909,  the  business  has  been  conducted 
under  the  style  of  the  Alexander  Dodds  Company. 

Much  of  the  success  of  the  business  has  been  due  to  several  patents 
obtained,  of  which  Mr.  Dodds  invented  all  except  the  morticing  and 
boring  machine.  The  first  one  was  procured  June  6,  1S85,  on  a  wood 
lathe;  another  December  31,  1889,  on  a  rubbing  machine;  and  still 
another  April  22,  1890,  on  an  automatic  carving  machine.  ]\Ir.  Dodds 
in  June,  1887,  patented  and  invented  a  dovetailer  for  making  furniture 
boxes.  Some  of  these,  especially  Dodds'  new  gear  dovetailing  machine, 
used  for  dovetailing  furniture  drawers,  and  which  has  made  him  a 
fortune,  are  used  in  every  part  of  the  United  States  where  furniture  is 
manufactured  and  in  numerous  foreign  countries.  The  patent  for  the 
dovetailing  machine  was  secured  June  14,  1887.  At  this  time  Mr.  Dodds 
occupies  offices  at  Nos.  451-53  Monroe  avenue.  Northwest. 

On  November  10,  1S88.  Mr.  Dodds  was  married  to  Mrs.  A.  J.  De- 
Lamarter.  'Sir.  and  Mrs.  Dodds  reside  in  their  own  home  at  No.  325 
Benjamin  avenue.  Mr.  Dodds  is  a  member  of  the  Association  of  Com- 
merce. He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  his  business  affairs  have 
demanded  his  undivided  attention  and  he  has  found  no  time  for  the 
activities  of  the  political  arena.  In  December,  1894,  he  became  a  member 
of  Columbian  Chapter  No.  132,  R.  A.  M. ;  in  February,  1895,  became  a 
member  of  DeMolai  Commandery  No.  5,  K.  T.,  and  has  since  taken 
the  Scottish  Rite  degrees  up  to  and  including  the  thirty-second  degree. 

In  connection  with  a  biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Dodds,  the  follow- 
ing editorial  appeared  in  the  Michigan  Tradesman,  of  December  8.  1009. 
to  which  article  credit  is  herewith  given  for  much  of  the  matter  that 
appears  in  this  sketch : 

"We  laud  and  celebrate  the  individual  who  has  achieved  extraordinary 
m.erit  in  art,  letters,  military  renown,  statesmanship,  and  fame  world- 
wide rests  on  such  distinctions.  Men  also  become  famous  in  law.  juris- 
prudence, medicine  and  scientific  study  and  demonstration.  Yet  all 
such  masters  in  their  several  spheres  do  no  more,  often  not  as  much, 
for  the  well-being  of  mankind  as  the  ingenious  and  untiring  mechanics 
who  discover  something  and  make  it  conduce  to  the  benefit  of  an  industry 
that  is  the  foundation  on  which  rest  the  stability,  livelihood  and  happi- 
ness of  many  thousands  of  people.  Peace  hath  its  victories  no  less 
renowned  than  war,  and  no  victors  are  more  deserving  of  acclaim  among 
the  chieftains  of  peace  than  those  who  invent  something  that  adds  to 
productive  power  and  successfully  apply  it  to  general  use.  The  man 
who  evolves  from  the  fertile  mind  a  contrivance  whereby  a  utility  can 
be  developed  so  as  to  greatly  enlarge  capacity  to  produce  useful  things 
and   at   the    same   time   give   permanent   employment   to   thousands   who 


1762  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

would  otherwise  have  to  struggle  for  a  meager  and  squalid  existence, 
has  done  more  for  community  or  state  than  a  general,  or  legislator,  or 
judge,  or  any  other  celebrity  whose  name  figures  among  the  galaxy  of 
notables  in  ordinary  historical  annals.  The  foundation  of  society  and 
state  is  in  the  productive  industries,  for  they  are  the  means  whereby  the 
population  pursues  an  orderly  and  prosperous  life.  In  the  absence 
of  war  and  consequent  destruction  of  human  life  there  is  a  growth  of 
population.  Productive  capacity  must  keep  pace  with  this  increase  of 
human  units  or  the  peoples  will  lapse  into  a  horde  of  vagrants,  becoming 
savage,  gregarious,  degraded  and,  like  hungry,  predatory  animals,  de- 
vouring their  fellows  weaker  than  themselves.  For  this  reason  no  one 
'  confers  a  greater  benefit  upon  the  country  than  he  who  contributes  to 
the  enlargement  of  productive  capacity.  Xot  to  everyone  is  given  the 
privilege  of  adding  something  of  value  to  the  commerce  of  this  world. 
Those  who  do  enjoy  this  privilege  have  not  lived  their  lives  in  vain  and 
their  greatest  satisfaction  should  be  the  knowledge  that  their  efforts 
have  been  of  a  practical,  material  benefit  to  all  mankind." 

TiiuM.\s  J.  R-\MSDELL.  The  first  distinction  to  be  noticed  in  the  career 
of  Thomas  J.  Ramsdell  is  that  he  was  the  pioneer  lawyer  in  ^lichigan 
north  of  the  Grand  River,  and  for  more  than  half  a  century  his  name  has 
been  closely  linked  with  both  the  professional  and  the  industrial  interests 
of  the  city  of  Alanistee,  where  he  now  resides  in,  his  eighty-third  year. 
If  success  consists  in  a  steady  bettemient  of  one's  material  conditions 
and  an  increase  of  one's  ability  to  render  service  to  others,  Thomas  T. 
Ramsdell  deserves  mention  as  one  of  the  exceptionallv  successful  men  of 
this  state. 

He  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Alichigan,  in  1832,  a  son  of  Gannet 
Ramsdell,  who  was  bom  in  the  state  of  Xew  York  in  1802,  and  came  to 
Michigan  during  the  twenties,  a  number  of  years  prior  to  the  admission 
of  the  state  to  the  Union.  As  a  pioneer  he  took  up  a  tract  of  wild  land  in 
Wayne  county,  reclaimed  a  farm,  and  became  an  influential  and  promi- 
nent citizen.  In  the  early  days  he  owned  and  operated  machine  shops, 
was  engaged  in  the  buying  and  shipping  of  grain,  and  gauged  by  the  stand- 
ards of  the  locality  and  period  was  a  wealthy  man.  His  home  was  in 
Wayne  county  until  his  death.  Gannet  Ramsdell  married  and  brought  his 
wife  to  Wayne  county,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  four  sons :  Ashley, 
Dyer,  Jonathan  and  Thomas  J.,  the  last  being  the  onlv  survivor  of  this 
family.  The  Ramsdell  family  is  of  Scotch  lineage  and  was  founded  in 
America  during  the  seventeenth  century. 

Thomas  J.  Ramsdell  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Wayne 
county,  and  as  the  opportunities  for  gaining  an  education  were  limited 
he  devised  means  to  supplement  his  resolute  purpose  for  a  higher  educa- 
tion. Independent  and  self-reliant,  he  did  not  wait  for  fortune  to  over- 
take him,  but  went  in  search  of  those  things  which  his  ambition  craved. 
In  early  youth  he  set  out  for  Poughkeepsie,  Xew  York,  to  acquire  a  col- 
lege education.  A  considerable  part  of  his  journey  was  made  on  foot, 
and  on  arriving  at  his  destination  entered  the  law  department  of  a  col- 
lege and  while  a  student  maintained  himself  and  paid  his  tuition  from 
the  earnings  of  his  individual  labors.  He  finally  completed  a  course  and 
was  graduated  Bachelor  of  Laws.  On  his  return  to  ^Iichigan  }ilr.  Rams- 
dell engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Lansing,  the  capital  city 
being  at  that  time  a  mere  village.  In  1858  Mr.  Ramsdell  moved  to 
IManistee,  then  a  lumbering  town,  with  all  the  typical  activities  and  en- 
vironment of  such  an  industrial  center.  He  was  the  first  lawyer  to  set 
up  an  office  not  only  in  Manistee  but  in  the  entire  region  north  of  Grand 
river.    As  a  pioneer  member  of  the  bar  and  through  his  exceptional  abil- 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1763 

ity,  he  soon  came  to  control  a  large  and  representative  practice,  and 
through  the  medium  of  his  profession  and  his  judicious  investments  laid 
the  foundation  of  a  large  fortune.  Mr.  Ramsdell  retired  from  active 
professional  work  in  1894,  being  at  the  time  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
honored  members  of  the  bar  of  his  native  state.  Since  then  his  time  and 
attention  has  been  given  to  the  supervision  of  his  extensive  and  important 
propert)'  interests,  and  his  estate  is  one  of  the  largest  in  that  section  of 
Michigan  of  which  Manistee  is  the  metropolis.  His  real  estate  holdings 
include  many  improved  business  and  residence  properties  in  Manistee,  and 
he  took  a  leading  part  in  the  organization  and  is  still  president  of  the 
First  National  Hank  of  that  city. 

Thomas  J.  Ramsdell  has  been  a  supporter  of  the  cause  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  from  the  time  of  its  organization,  and  has  been  one  of  the 
dominating  figures  in  ]niblic  affairs  in  his  section  of  the  state.  After 
Manistee  was  incorporated  under  a  city  charter  he  served  as  a  member  of 
the  first  board  of  aldermen,  and  also  gave  valuable  service  while  a  rep- 
resentative of  the  county  in  the  state  legislature.  For  one  who  began 
life  without  financial  resources  or  influence  outside  of  himself,  he  has 
filled  the  years  with  large  and  worthy  achievement,  and  throughout 
his  course  has  been  governed  by  the  highest  principles  of  integrity  and 
honor.  No  citizen  has  done  more  to  further  the  best  interests  of  Manis- 
tee, and  he  takes  great  pride  in  the  city  which  has  been  his  home  since 
pioneer  times. 

Mr.  Ramsdell  married  Nettie  L.  Stanton,  who  was  born  at  Lansing, 
Michigan,  when  that  place  was  a  frontier  village.  To  their  marriage  were 
born  fourteen  children,  eight  of  whom  are  still  living.  One  of  the  sons. 
Dr.  L.  S.  Ramsdell,  is  a  leading  physician  and  surgeon  of  Manistee, 
and  another  son,  F.  W.  Ramsdell,  has  gained  distinction  in  the  field  of 
art,  and  spent  a  number  of  years  in  study  in  Europe,  and  has  a  high 
reputation  among  American  artists. 

RoiiERT  R.  R.-MMSDELL.  A  son  of  Thomas  J.  Ramsdell,  the  pioneer 
lawyer  of  Manistee,  Robert  R.  Ramsdell  is  one  of  the  successful  busi- 
ness men  of  that  city,  and  for  several  years  has  given  most  of  his  time 
to  the  management  of  the  large  estate  founded  by  his  father. 

Robert  R.  Ramsdell  was  born  at  Manistee  September  25,  1867,  and 
in  his  youth  attended  the  local  schools  and  finished  a  course  at  the  high 
school.  Some  of  his  younger  years  were  spent  in  the  west  as  a  cattle 
rancher,  a  life  that  gave  him  varied  experience  and  adventure.  On  re- 
turning to  Michigan  he  became  identified  with  lumbering,  with  Manistee 
as  his  headquarters,  and  his  success  in  this  field  proves  a  fine  capacity 
for  the  management  of  important  afifairs.  His  later  years  have  been 
required  almost  exclusively  in  the  management  of  his  father's  estate, 
which  involves  a  number  of  important  business  enterprises. 

Mr.  Ramsdell  has  given  his  allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  public-spirited  citizens  of  Manistee. 
Fraternally  his  affiliations  are  with  Manistee  Lodge  of  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  In  1895  Mr.  Ramsdell  married  Miss  Zoe 
Harris  of  Chicago.  Their  two  children,  Helen  E.  and  Louis  S.,  are 
students  in  the  public  schools  of  ^lanistee. 

Edmund  C.  Shields.  One  of  the  most  forceful  figures  in  Democratic 
politics  in  his  state,  Edmund  C.  Shields,  has  risen  to  his  present  position 
as  chairman  of  the  Democratic  State  Central  Committee  solely  through 
merit.  A  man  of  vast  legal  learning,  with  a  broad  and  comprehensive 
knowledge  and  understanding  of  men  and  affairs,  he  has  on  numerous 


1764  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

occasions  demonstrated  his  executive  ability  and  organizing  powers,  and 
these,  combined  with  a  capacity  to  recognize  and  readily  grasp  opportuni- 
ties, an  energetic  and  courageous  nature,  and  an  attractive  personality, 
make  his  services  of  inestimable  value  to  his  party. 

Mr.  Shields  has  the  distinction  of  being  a  native  son  of  Michigan, 
having  been  born  at  Howell,  Livingston  county,  December  30,  1871.  His 
grandfather,  John  Shields,  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  was  a  pioneer  of 
Wayne  county.  Michigan,  during  the  early  'thirties.  About  the  year  1840 
he  removed  his  family  to  Livingston  county,  and  there  settled  on  a  farm, 
where  he  continued  to  carry  on  agricultural  pursuits  for  many  years,  and 
at  the  time  of  his  retirement  from  active  labor  located  at  Fowlerville, 
where  his  death  occurred.  Dennis  Shields,  the  father  of  Edmund  C. 
Shields,  was  one  of  Michigan's  pioneers  and  best  known  legists.  He  was 
born  at  Dearborn,  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  September  19,  1836,  and  re- 
ceived his  early  education  in  the  primitive  common  schools  of  Unadilla, 
subsequently  spending  one  term  in  the  schools  of  Ypsilanti.  He  read  law 
under  the  preceptorship  of  Judge  H.  H.  Harmon  and  Marcus  Wilcox,  of 
Howell,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1862,  entering  the  practice  of  law 
in  that  same  year  and  continuing  therein  until  his  death  in  1898.  He  was 
a  man  of  many  attainments,  and  for  years  was  a  familiar  figure  in  the 
courts  of  ^Michigan,  where  his  connection  with  numerous  important  cases 
of  jurisprudence  brought  him  prominently  and  favorably  before  the 
public.  At  one  time  he  was  the  partner  of  Judge  Person,  who  is  now  the 
senior  member  of  the  legal  iirm  of  which  his  son,  Edmund  C.  Shields, 
is  now  a  member.  Dennis  Shields  married  Miss  Lydia  Lonergan,  a  native 
of  Yarmouth,  Nova  Scotia,  Canada,  and  she  died  in  January,  1910. 

Edmund  C.  Shields  attended  the  graded  and  high  schools  of  Howell, 
being  graduated  from  the  latter  in  June,  1889.  He  subsequently  became 
a  student  in  the  literary  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  where 
he  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  1894,  and  then  took  the 
legal  course  in  the  same  institution,  being  graduated  with  his  law  degree 
in  1896.  During  his  college  career  Mr.  Shields  was  prominent  in  athletics, 
being  a  baseball  and  football  hero,  and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Board  of  Control  of  Athletics  at  the  university,  which  has  since  developed 
into  a  decided  factor  in  keeping  college  athletics  clean  and  sportsmanlike. 
Upon  his  admission  to  the  bar.  in  1896,  Mr.  Shields  became  associated  in 
practice  with  his  father,  but  at  the  end  of  two  years  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  brother,  Francis  J.  Shields,  at  Howell,  this  connection  continuing 
tintil  August  I,  1913,  when  he  came  to  Lansing  to  enter  the  law  firm  of 
Person,  Shields  &  Silsbee.  This  is  now  accounted  one  of  the  most  for- 
midable legal  combinations  in  the  state. 

It  was  but  natural  that  a  man  of  ]Mr.  Shields'  abilities  and  energetic 
nature  should  enter  the  strenuous  field  of  politics.  Allying  himself  with 
the  forces  of  Democracy,  he  w-as  elected  prosecuting  attorney  of  Living- 
ston county  by  that  party  in  1900,  and  succeeded  himself  in  that  office  in 
1902,  serving  in  all  four  years.  Here  his  talents  were  given  full  play,  and 
in  1909,  in  order  to  fill  a  vacancy  the  leaders  of  his  party  chose  him  as 
leader  of  the  State  Central  Committee.  In  1910,  at  the  state  convention, 
held  at  Kalamazoo,  he  was  elected  unanimously  to  that  position,  and 
again  in  1912  was  chosen  unanimously  to  succeed  himself.  As  the  leader 
of  his  party  in  the  state  he  has  shown  himself  possessed  of  every  trait  of 
leadership,  and  the  success  of  Democracy  in  Michigan  may  in  large  part 
be  accredited  directly  to  his  sterling  efforts.  In  June,  1913,  he  was  hon- 
ored by  appointment  of  Governor  Ferris  to  membership  on  the  committee 
chosen  to  recompile  and  codify  the  state  statutes.  While  a  resident  of 
Howell,  Mr.  Shields  rendered  signal  services  as  a  member  of  the  city 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1765 

council  and  the  school  board.  He  was  a  delegate  at  large  to  the  National 
Democratic  convention,  held  at  Baltimore  in  1912.  where  with  his  fellow- 
delegates  he  did  much  to  advance  the  presidential  interests  of  Woodrow 
Wilson. 

Mr.  Shields  was  married  to  Miss  Marv  Folev.    Thev  have  no  children. 


Ellsworth  S.  Ellis,  M.  D.  In  point  of  years  of  continuous  practice 
Dr.  Ellis  takes  precedence  of  virtually  all  other  members  of  his  profes- 
sion in  the  city  of  Manistee,  judicial  center  of  the  county  of  the  same 
name,  and  he  is  known  and  honored  as  one  of  the  able  and  representative 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  Michigan,  where  by  his  character  and  services 
he  has  lent  dignity  and  distinction  to  the  humane  vocation  to  which  he 
has  devoted  himself  with  all  of  zeal  and  with  marked  self-abnegation. 

Dr.  Ellis  claims  the  old  Bay  State  as  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  is  a 
scion  of  a  family  that  was  founded  in  New  England  in  the  colonial  days. 
He  was  born  on  the  homestead  farm  of  his  father,  near  Huntington, 
Hampshire  county,  Massachusetts,  on  the  2d  of  October,  1848,  and  is  a 
son  of  Ebenezer  S.  and  Betsy  L.  (Hancock)  Ellis,  both  likewise  natives 
of  Massachusetts,  where  the  former  was  born  in  181 5  and  the  latter  in 
1822.  their  marriage  having  been  solemnized  in  1845.  The  parents  passed 
the  closing  years  of  their  lives  in  the  state  of  Massachusetts,  and  both 
entered  into  eternal  rest  in  the  year  1892,  so  that,  after  long  and  devoted 
companionship,  in  death  they  were  not  long  divided.  Ebenezer  S.  Ellis 
devoted  his  entire  active  career  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  his  industry 
and  good  management  brought  to  him  definite  independence  and  pros- 
perity, though  he  was  by  no  means  a  man  of  wealth.  He  was  originally 
a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  in  the  climacteric  period 
prior  to  the  Civil  War  he  was  an  ardent  Abolitionist.  He  was  a  zealous 
member  of  the  Congregational  church,  as  were  also  his  first  and  his  sec- 
ond wives.  He  was  a  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Ruth  (Stiles)  Ellis,  the 
former  a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  the  latter  of  Connecticut,  and  his 
paternal  grandfather  was  Samuel  Ellis,  who  was  a  patriot  soldier  in 
the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  two  of  whose  brothers  were  killed  while 
serving  in  the  French  and  Indian  war.  Ruth  (Stiles)  Ellis  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Ashbel  Stiles  and  she  was  born  at  Windsor.  Connecticut,  of  which 
state  her  ancestors  were  very  early  settlers,  having  there  established  their 
home  on  coming  to  America  from  England,  in  1634.  Ashbel  Stiles  like- 
wise served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  thus  Dr.  Ellis  is  eligible  in 
both  the  paternal  and  maternal  lines  for  membership  in  the  Society  of  the 
Sons  of  the  American  Revolution.  Ebenezer  S.  Ellis  was  twice  married 
and  he  became  the  father  of  five  children,  all  of  whom  are  still  living: 
Charles  A.,  the  only  child  of  the  first  union,  is  a  prosperous  merchant  at 
Pierport,  Manistee  county,  Michigan;  Laura  L.  is  the  wife  of  Mahlon 
C.  Sheldon,  of  Southhampton,  Massachusetts ;  Dr.  Ellis,  of  this  review, 
was  the  next  in  order  of  birth  ;  Edward  A.  is  a  resident  of  Westfield,  Mas- 
sachusetts ;  and  Benjamin  H.  is  also  a  resident  of  Westfield. 

Dr.  Ellis  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  state  and  supplemented  this  by  higher  academic  courses  in  Alle- 
gheny College,  at  Meadville,  Pennsylvania.  In  preparation  for  his  chosen 
life  work  he  finally  was  matriculated  in  the  (jollege  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  in  New  York  City,  and  in  this  fine  institution  he  was  graduated 
on  the  1st  of  March,  1876^  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  For 
five  years  thereafter  he  was  engaged  in  practice  at  Aleadville,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  for  the  ensuing  five  vears  he  was  similarly  engaged  at  Ripley, 
New  York.    In  1886  he  established  his  home  at  ^lanistee,  ^Michigan,  and 


1766  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

here  he  has  since  continued  liis  able  ministrations,  his  practice  having 
long  been  large  and  representative  and  marked  affection  and  esteem 
being  accorded  him  by  the  many  families  to  whom  he  has  given  timely 
assistance  in  the  hours  of  suft'ering  and  distress.  His  practice  is  of  a  gen- 
eral order,  but  in  later  years  he  found  special  demands  upon  him  in  gyne- 
cology and  obstetrics.  He  is  known  and  honored  throughout  this  section 
of  the  state,  not  only  as  a  physician,  but  also  as  a  man  of  broad  human 
s\-mpathy  and  tolerance  and  of  invincible  integrity  in  all  the  relations  of 
life.  He  is  one  of  the  most  valued  members  of  the  Manistee  County 
Medical  Society,  of  which  he  is  president  in  1914.  and  he  is  identified  also 
with  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation. During  his  long  years  of  exacting  professional  work  he  has 
not  pennitted  himself  to  flag  in  study  and  investigation,  and  he  thus 
keeps  abreast  of  the  advances  made  in  medical  and  surgical  science. 

Dr.  Ellis  is  liberal  and  loyal  as  a  citizen  and  while  he  has  had  no  desire 
for  political  preferment  he  is  found  aligned  as  a  stalwart  supporter  of 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  com- 
municants of  the  Catholic  church  and  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Knights  of 
Columbus. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1874,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Ellis  to  "Miss  Alary  E.  Clapp,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Massachusetts, 
and  they  have  four  children:  Ellsworth  S.,  Jr.,  is  a  resident  of  the  city 
of  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  is  in  the  employ  of  the  John  S.  Xoel  Company  ; 
Fidelia  is  the  wife  of  John  F.  Bailey,  manager  of  the  New  Royal  Theater, 
in  Manistee ;  Frederick  has  charge  of  the  offices  of  an  iron  company  at 
Elk  Rapids.  Michigan :  and  Theodore  R.  is  employed  in  Chicago,  by 
the  Germania  Fire  Insurance  Company. 

\\'iLBUR  E.  Warr,  editor  and  manager  of  the  Daily  Nezi's.  at  Luding- 
ton,  has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  only  since  1912,  but  there  is  prob- 
ably no  better  known  newspaper  man  in  Northwestern  Michigan  at  this 
time.  Connected  with  journalistic  work  since  his  sixteenth  year,  his 
labors  have  carried  him  to  various  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  his 
fine  talents  have  received  recognition  in  diversified  fields  of  his  chosen 
profession.  Mr.  Warr  is  a  native  of  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  was  born 
March  26,  1880,  a  son  of  John  \\'.  and  Harriet  AI.  (  Smith )  \\'arr,  natives 
of  Ohio,  the  former  born  in  1846  and  the  latter  in  1850,  and  now  resi- 
dents of  Gardena.  California. 

John  W.  Warr  was  a  graduate  of  an  Ohio  college,  and  early  in  life 
took  up  educational  work,  becoming  a  college  professor  and  subsequently 
one  of  the  owners  of  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College.  For  many 
years  he  was  engaged  in  editorial  work  and  as  a  writer  for  the  leading 
magazines  and  periodicals,  and  although  he  is  now  living  a  somewhat  re- 
tired life  frequent  articles  still  come  from  his  prolific  pen.  There  were 
five  children  in  the  family:  Percy  B..  who  is  the  proprietor  of  a  retail 
merchandise  store  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Bertha  M..  who  is  single: 
\\"ilbur  E. ;  Archie  J.,  a  bookkeeper  of  Avery,  Iowa:  and  E.  N..  manager 
of  a  foundry  and  machine  shop  at  San  Pedro,  California.  Mrs.  \\  arr  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Wilbur  E.  Warr  received  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Louisville,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  graduated  from  the  Moline 
(Illinois)  high  school.  Inheriting  his  father's  predilection  for  literary 
work,  he  secured  employment  at  that  time  in  a  newspaper  office,  and  sub- 
sequentlv  became  a  reporter  for  a  Moline  newspaper,  remaining  at  that 
prominent  manufacturing  city  for  about  six  years.  Following  this,  he 
went  to  Metropolis,  Illinois,  where  he  became  the  proprietor  of  a  weekly 
publication,   but  after  four  years   disposed   of  his  interests  to  take  up 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1767 

special  work  for  Chicago  and  St.  Louis  papers.  While  thus  engaged  he 
was  sent  to  Kentucky  during  the  noted  Night  Rider  troubles,  during 
which  he  had  some  thrilling  experiences,  and  his  reports  of  the  inci- 
dents there  were  printed  in  leading  papers  throughout  the  Middle  West. 
Upon  his  return  he  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  accepted  the  editorship  of 
a  paper,  but  soon  removed  to  Janesville,  \\'isconsin,  where  he  was  editor 
and  manager  of  the  Morning  Recorder,  severing  his  connection  there- 
with to  come  to  Ludington,  in  iyi2,  to  accept  the  position  of  editor  of 
the  Daily'  Nccvs.  Since  that  time  he  has  also  been  made  manager,  and 
under  his  direction  the  sheet  is  building  up  a  large  circulation,  having  more 
than  doubled  its  list  of  subscribers  within  six  months'  time.  Aside  from 
his  duties  with  this  newspaper,  Mr.  Warr  has  done  a  great  deal  of  spe- 
cial writing  under  the  nom  de  plume  of  "Bob  Linnett." 

^1t.  \\'"arr  was  married  in  1900  to  ^liss  Pearl  N.  Giles,  of  Aloline, 
Illinois.  They  are  consistent  members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  Mr. 
Warr  affiliate's  fraternally  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  Politically  a  Democrat,  he  has  taken  a  keen 
interest  in  the  success  of  his  party,  which  he  has  aided  through  the 
medium  of  his  newspaper  as  a  molder  of  public  opinion.  He  takes  a 
prominent  part  in  the  councils  of  his  party  here,  and  has  served  as  sec- 
retarv  of  the  county  commissioners.  Although  a  very  busy  man,  he  is 
easilv  approached,  and  his  friends  are  legion  wherever  he  is  kn— — 


10  wn. 


Re\-.  Ed\v.\ud  a.  C.\ldwell,  who  has  recently  become  pastor  of  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  Church,  Saginaw,  Michigan,  has  labored  zealously  in 
the  priesthood  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  He  was  born  April 
7,  1861,  in  the  citv  of  Detroit,  a  son  of  Thomas  and  ]\Iargaret  (McDon- 
ald) Caldwell,  who  were  married  at  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  and  are  both 
now  deceased.  The  parents  of  Father  Caldwell  were  in  modest  circum- 
stances, but  were  honest,  reliable.  God-fearing  people  and  devout  mem- 
bers of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  In  their  family  there  were  six  sons 
and  one  daughter,  the  latter  dying  October  15,  1913. 

When  stiU  a  lad,  attending  the  parochial  schools  of  Saginaw,  Father 
Caldwell  decided  upon  devoting  his  life  to  the  priesthood,  although  none 
of  his  brothers  engaged  in  religious  work.  He  prosecuted  his  studies  in 
Assumption  College.  Sandwich,  Ontario,  Canada,  and  in  1887  was  grad- 
uated from  the  American  College  of  Louvain,  Belgium.  Upon  being 
ordained  his  first  charge  was  St.  Patrick's  Church,  at  Grand  Haven,  ;Mich- 
igan.  where  he  spent  three  years,  then  going  to  St.  Mary's  Church  at  Big 
Rapids,  where  five  years  were  spent,  following  which  he  was  in  charge  of 
St.  ^ilarv's  Church  at  Sheboygan  for  five  years,  and  then  was  sent  to  St. 
Mary's  Church,  Bay  City,  wliere  he  continued  as  priest  thirteen  years.  At 
the  last-named  place.  Father  Caldwell  accomplished  possibly  his  greatest 
work.  St.  Mary's  Church  of  West  Bay  City  was  founded  in  November, 
1873.  when  the  building  now  used  as  a  schoolhouse  was  dedicated  as  a 
church.  The  erection  of  the  present  house  of  worship  was  begun  in  the 
latter  part  of  May,  1881,  and  was  dedicated  November  30th  of  that  year 
by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Casper  H.  Borgess,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Detroit,  and 
completed  as  the  fourth  church  of  the  diocese  in  1883.  A  very  large 
share  of  the  credit  for  the  erection  of  this  church  is  due  to  the  untiring 
and  zealous  efforts  of  Father  Schutjes.  The  parish  was  set  off  from 
Bay  City  in  1873,  and  the  first  pastor  was  Rev.  M.  G.  Cantors,'  who  was 
succeeded  bv  Father  Schutjes  in  the  summer  of  1880.  and  on  March  i. 
1888,  Rev.  Tohn  Sanson  became  assistant  pastor,  a  capacity  in  which  he 
acted  until  Father  Schutjes  returned  to  Europe  when  the  former  became 
pastor.  Flis  successor  was  Father  Schrembs,  who  served  eleven  years, 
and  was  succeeded  in  October,  igoo,  by  the  Rev.  Edward  A.  Caldwell, 


1768  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

with  Rev.  Anthony  O.  Bosler  as  assistant  pastor,  tlie  latter  now  lieing 
pastor.  In  1887  the  school  was  founded  by  the  Catholic  Sisters,  the  old 
church  building  being  remodeled  for  school  purposes,  and  it  now  has 
400  pupils,  with  eight  grades,  four  high  school  grades  and  a  commercial 
course,  and  is  placed  with  the  accredited  schools  of  the  state.  The  con- 
gregation consists  of  350  families,  or  about  1,600  persons.  On  October 
27,  1913,  Father  Caldwell  bid  farewell  to  those  with  whom  he  had  la- 
bored so  long,  having  been  appointed  pastor  of  St.  ]Mary's  Church  at 
Saginaw,  by  Bishop  Richter,  to  fill"  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of 
the  late  Father  Dalton.  In  his  new  field  of  labor  Father  Caldwell  will 
no  doubt  continue  to  make  his  activities  a  most  potent  element  in  the 
growth  and  upbuilding  of  Catholicism.  He  is  a  man  of  congenial  dis- 
position, broad  and  charitable  in  his  views,  with  a  smile  and  pleasant 
word  for  everyone.  In  his  wide  circle  of  friends,  he  has  probablv  as 
many  Protestant  admirers  as  those  of  his  own  faith,  while  among  those 
with  whom  he  has  worked  he  is  greatly  beloved.  One  of  his  chief  char- 
acteristics may  be  said  to  be  his  fondness  for  a  good  clean  joke,  and  in 
his  rare  moments  of  leisure  enjoys  a  spell  of  story  and  anecdote.  A 
learned  and  able  man,  he  commands  the  respect  of  people  of  all  denomina- 
tions, and  his  influence  has  worked  for  righteousness  in  whatever  local- 
ity he  has  labored. 

Hnx.  Charles  Sumner  Pierce.  The  official  career  of  Hon.  Charles 
Sumner  Pierce,  state  superintendent  of  buildings  and  grounds,  of  Lans- 
ing, has  covered  a  period  of  more  than  twenty  years,  and  his  record  has 
been  characterized  by  excellent  public  services  and  loyal  and  conscientious 
devotion  to  the  best  interest  of  his  state.  'Sir.  Pierce  is  a  native  of 
Michigan,  born  on  his  father's  farm  in  Redford  township,  Wavne  county, 
June  12.  1S58,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  Hon.  Onesimous  O.  Pierca,  who 
was  a  pioneer  of  Wayne  county.  He  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  county. 
New  York,  in  1S09,  and  came  to  Michigan  in  1837,  the  same  year  that 
the  state  was  admitted  to  the  L'nion.  Mr.  Pierce  became  a  farmer  in 
Redford  township,  accumulated  a  valuable  property  through  industry 
and  able  business  management,  and  was  a  prominent  man  in  his  com- 
munity and  was  frequentlv  elected  to  township  offices  within  the  gift  of 
his  appreciative  fellow-citizens.  The  mother  of  Charles  Sumner  Pierce 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Blue  and  was  born  in  Oneida  county. 
New  York,  in  1818,  from  whence  she  accompanied  her  parents  to  Wayne 
county,  ^lichigan  in  1836,  when  this  was  still  a  territory.  She  was  here 
married  to  Mr.  Pierce,  who  died  in  1872,  and  she  survived  until  1893. 

Charles  Sumner  Pierce  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  secured 
his  primary'  education  in  the  district  schools.  Later  he  entered  the  state 
normal  school  at  Ypsilanti,  and  after  taking  the  Latin  and  German  courses 
was  graduated  in  1882.  At  that  time  IVIr.  Pierce  adopted  the  vocation  of 
educator,  and  in  1883  became  principal  of  the  schools  of  Au  Sable,  con- 
tinuing at  the  head  of  those  schools  for  two  years.  During  this  time  he 
purchased  the  Au  Sable  and  Osceola  Mezi's,  which  he  first  rechristened 
The  Saturday  Alight  and  later  The  Press,  and  published  the  latter  until 
1900.  In  1884  Mr.  Pierce  had  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and  in  1885 
entered  the  law  department  of  the  L'niversity  of  Michigan,  where  he  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1887,  receiving  his  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Laws.  Soon  thereafter  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  at  Oscoda,  Michigan,  in  1888.  and  in  the  following 
year  was  elected  attorney  for  that  village,  an  office  which  he  held  until 

1891.  He  was  commissioner  of  schools  of  Iosco  county  during  1891  and 

1892.  and  in  the  latter  year  was  elected  to  represent  the  Twenty-eighth 
District  as  a  member  of  the  Michigan  State  Senate,  in  which  distinguished 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1769 

body  lie  served  one  term.  In  1897  Mr.  Pierce  was  chosen  secretary  of 
the  Senate,  serving  in  that  capacity  during  the  sessions  of  1897,  1898, 
1899  and  1900,  and  in  January,  1901,  his  ability  was  recognized  by  his 
appointment  as  deputy  secretary  of  state,  serving  as  such  until  [anuary, 
1906.  While  an  incumbent  of  that  office,  Mr.  Pierce  was  granted  a  leave 
of  absence  to  accept  the  position  of  clerk  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, for  the  session  of  1903,  and  again,  under  the  same  circumstances, 
served  as  clerk  of  the  House  during  the  session  of  1905,  Two  years  later 
he  occupied  the  same  office,  and  July  i,  1907,  was  appointed  state  game, 
fish  and  forestry  warden,  an  office  which  he  held  for  four  years,  or  until 
July  I,  191 1.  The  special  session  of  the  legislature  held  in  191 1  saw  Mr. 
Pierce  again  chosen  as  clerk  of  the  House,  and  two  years  later  he  was 
again  honored  by  that  office.  In  May,  1913,  came  Mr.  Pierce's  appoint- 
ment as  superintendent  of  buildings  and  grounds  at  the  state  capitol,  a 
position  which  he  has  continued  to  hold.  Mr.  Pierce's  official  life  has 
been  one  of  intense  activity,  in  which  he  has  displayed  executive  and 
administrative  talents  of  a  high  order.  He  is  widely  known  in  political 
circles  of  the  state,  and  has  the  friendship  of  men  of  all  parties  who  have 
appreciated  his  steadfast  honesty  and  devotion  to  high  principles. 

Mr.  Pierce  has  been  twice  married.  In  1889  he  was  united  with  Miss 
Frances  Barnard,  of  Detroit,  who  died  in  1900,  leaving  the  following  chil- 
dren:  Barnard,  a  senior  at  the  University  of  ^Michigan,  where  he  is 
taking  the  law  and  literary  courses ;  \'irginia,  a  member  of  the  sophomore 
class  at  that  institution;  and  Kenneth,  who  is  attending  the  Lansing  High 
school.  In  1907  Mr.  Pierce  was  married  to  Miss  Charlotte  E.  Ken- 
nedy, of  Grancl  Marais,  Michigan,  and  they  have  one  son — Charles 
Sumner,  Jr. 

William  P.  Kavanaugh.  It  is  no  inconsiderable  attainment  to 
start  a  poor  boy  of  sixteen  and  by  years  of  consecutive  endeavor  build  up 
a  large  industry  in  the  fish  business,  to  become  president  of  a  bank,  and 
officially  connected  with  several  other  .well  known  concerns.  That  is  a 
concise  account  of  Mr.  Kavanaugh's  present  position  in  the  business  life 
at  Bay  City.  What  he  has  he  owes  to  the  talents,  the  energies  and  the 
business  qualities  of  his  own  character. 

Born  near  Guelph,  Ontario,  Canada,  December  25,  1872,  William 
P.  Kavanaugh  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Mdry  (Kelly)  Kavanaugh.  His 
father  was  born  in  Ireland,  came  to  Canada  early  in  the  fifties,  followed 
the  trade  of  saddler  and  died  about  1877.  The  mother,  who  was  born 
in  Canada,  and  who  had  five  children,  of  whom  William  was  the  third, 
after  her  husband's  death  moved  to  Bay  City,  where  she  died  in  1889 
at  the  age  of  forty.  The  son  was  five  years  of  age,  when  he  lost  his 
father,  and  from  the  time  he  was  sixteen  he  was  out  in  the  world  on  his 
own  resources.  In  the  meantime  the  public  schools  of  Bay  City  had 
given  him  a  fair  foundation  of  learning,  and  after  leaving  school  he 
found  employment  in  the  fishing  industry,  which  is  one  of  the  large  and 
important  activities  in  this  section.  From  a  very  humble  start,  he  de- 
veloped a  business  in  which  a  large  force  of  men  are  now  employed, 
and  he  has  a  trade  which  is  the  largest  in  live  fish,  and  at  the  same  time 
employs  much  capital  and  many  hands  in  the  freezing,  salting  and 
smoking  of  fish. 

His  success  in  one  industry  has  naturally  led  him  to  connection  with 
various  other  enterprises.  His  headquarters  in  the  fish  business  are  at 
Essexville,  and  he  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  State  Savings  Bank 
of  Essexville,  and  now  its  president.  This  bank  is  under  State  super- 
vision and  is  owned  by  local  people.  In  August,  1913,  its  resources  were 
over  sixty  thousand   dollars,   the  capital   stock  being  twenty   thousand. 


1770  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

and  its  deposits  over  forty  tiiousand.     Mr.  Kavanaugh  is  also  director 
and  treasurer  of  tlie  Ro^-al  Coal  Company. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  he  is  at  this  writing  a  member  of  the  board 
of  estimates,  and  for  the  past  eight  years  has  taken  an  active  part  in  civic 
affairs.  His  fraternal  affiliations  are  with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  He  belongs  to  the  Catholic 
church,  is  a  member  of  the  Country  Club  and  the  Board  of  Commerce. 
At  Bay  City  on  October  5,  1904,  occurred  his  marriage  to  Miss  Nellie 
Callahan,  who  was  born  in  Bay  City,  a  daughter  of  Dennis  Callahan,  one 
of  the  old  settlers  of  that  locality.  They  have  four  children,  Helen 
Kavanaugh,  William  Patrick,  Jr.,  Alargaret  Kavanaugh,  and  John  Virgil 
Kavanaugh.  The  Kavanaugh  home  is  at  242  N.  Madison  Street  in 
Bay  City. 

\ViLLi.\M  H.  G.\Y.  The  precedence  of  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids  as 
an  industrial  and  commercial  center  has  been  signally  fostered  through 
the  extensive  operations  of  the  extensive  manufacturing  enterprise  of 
the  Berkey  &  Gay  Furniture  Company,  which  is  recognized  as  the  largest 
and  most  important  of  the  corporations  that  have  made  Grand  Rapids 
a  world  center  for  the  manufacturing  of  furniture.  The  products  of  the 
great  plant  of  this  company  comprise  general  lines  of  high-grade  furni- 
ture and  its  trade  extends  into  the  most  diverse  sections  of  the  civilized 
world,  with  specially  wide  ramifications,  as  may  be  supposed,  throughout 
the  United  States  and  the  Canadian  provinces.  He  whose  name  initiates 
this  paragraph  is  known  and  honored  as  one  of  the  most  enterprising 
and  progressive  business  men  and  most  liberal  and  loyal  citizens  of 
Michigan's  beautiful  "\'alley  City,"  and  he  has  done  much  to  further 
the  civic  and  material  advancement  of  his  native  city  and  state.  He  is 
president  of  the  Berkey  &  Gay  Furniture  Company  and  is  a  scion  of  a 
family  whose  name  has  been  long  and  conspicuously  identified  with  large 
and  important  business  activities  in  Grand  Rapids. 

Mr.  Gay  was  born  in  Grand  Jiapids  on  the  30th  of  May,  1863,  and 
is  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Helen  (  Hovey)  Gay,  the  former  of  whom 
was  born  in  Washington  county,  New  York,  in  1837,  and  the  latter  of 
whom  was  born  in  the  city  of  Boston,  ^Massachusetts,  in  1835.  The 
father  passed  from  the  scene  of  life's  mortal  endeavors  on  the  13th  of 
September,  1899,  his  devoted  wife  having  been  summoned  to  eternal 
rest  in  April  of  the  pre;ceding  year.  George  W.  Gay  came  to  Michigan 
in  the  year  1859  and  forthwith  established  his  residence  in  the  small  but 
promising  village  of  Grand  Rapids,  which  was  at  that  time  known  prin- 
cipally as  a  center  of  lumbering  operations.  He  engaged  in  the  hard- 
ware business  as  one  of  the  pioneer  merchants  of  the  city,  but  about  two 
years  later  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  manufacturing  of  furniture. 
This  work  of  founding  a  great  industrial  enterprise  was  accomplished 
in  the  year  1863,  when  he  became  associated  with  William  A.  and  Julius 
Berkey.  under  the  firm  name  of  Berkey  Brothers  &  Company.  From  a 
modest  inception  was  built  up  an  industry  that  is  now  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  important  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  and  it  is  fortunate  that  the 
names  of  the  founders  of  the  business  are  still  retained  in  the  corporate 
title  under  which  the  enterprise  is  conducted,  for  this  is  given  enduring 
recognition  of  men  who  played  a  large  part  in  the  industrial  and  general 
development  and  upbuilding  of  the  second  city  of  Michigan.  With  the 
passing  of  the  years  the  manufacturing  business  of  the  firm  expanded 
rapidlv  in  scope  and  importance,  and  in  1873,  as  a  matter  of  commercial 
and  financial  expediency,  the  concern  was  incorporated  under  the  title 
of  the  Berkev  &  Gav  Furinture  Company,  which  has  been  retained  dur- 
ing the  long  intervening  years,  the  extensive  operations  of  the  company 
being  based  on  a  capital  stock  of  $900,000  at  the  present  time. 


GEORGE  W.  GAY 


THI  MW  TOM 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1771 

In  Grand  Rapids  the  year  1861  bore  record  of  the  marriage  of  George 
W.  Gay  to  Aliss  Helen  Hovey,  who  was  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
sterling  pioneer  families  of  Michigan,  her  father,  William  Ilovev,  who 
was  born  in  Massachusetts  and  who  had  been  a  prominent  architect  and 
contractor  in  the  city  of  Boston,  having  come  to  Michigan  in  1857.  Mr. 
Hovey  built  up  a  successful  contracting  business  in  Grand  Rapids,  but 
he  soon  became  one  of  the  influential  figures  in  the  development  of  the 
fine  gypsum  mines  which  were  destined  to  make  "Grand  Rapids  plaster" 
a  famous  commercial  product,  and  in  this  field  of  enterprise  he  was  the 
valued  representative  of  a  number  of  substantial  Eastern  capitalists. 
yir.  Hovey  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  Grand  Rapids,  and  his 
name  merits  enduring  place  on  the  roster  of  those  who  aided  in  the  early 
development  of  the  city's  industrial  activities.  George  W.  Gay.  who 
began  his  independent  career  as  a  youth  with  no  special  financial  re- 
sources, achieved  large  and  worthy  success  as  one  of  the  world's  pro- 
ductive workers,  and  he  was  long  numbered  among  the  representative 
men  of  affairs  in  Grand  Rapids,  even  as  he  was  a  citizen  imbued  with 
utmost  loyalty  and  public  spirit.  His  father,  Joel.  Gay,  was  a  native  of 
^Massachusetts,  but  became  a  farmer  in  the  state  of  Xew  York,  where 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  an  early  day  and  where  he  continued  to 
reside  until  his  death.  George  W.  Gay  was  a  stalwart  and  well-fortified 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  and,  while  he  had  no 
definite  ambition  for  political  preferment,,  his  saijee  of  civic  duty  caused 
him  to  consent  to  serve  in  various  municipal  offices  in  Grand  Rapids, 
including  that  of  member  of  the  board  of  aldermen  and  that  of  member 
of  the  board  of  police  and  fire  commissioners.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
were  most  zealous  members  of  the  Fountain  Street  Baptist  church  of 
Grand  Rapids,  and  in  the  same  he  held  the  office  of  deacon  for  a  luimber 
of  years.  He  was  a  man  of  noble  character  and  much  business  abilitv, 
and  his  name  shall  be  held  in  lasting  honor  in  the  city  in  which  he  long 
lived  and  labored  and  to  the  advancement  of  which  he  contributed  in 
most  generous  measure.  Of  the  two  children  surviving  him,  the  elder 
is  William  H.,  of  this  review,  who  has  proved  his  worthy  successor  in 
the  direction  of  the  affairs  of  the  Berkey  &  Gay  Furniture  Company, 
and  the  younger  is  Gertrude  Gay  Carman,  who  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
W.  Carman,  her  husband  having  been  for  a  number  of  years  a  valued 
member  of  the  faculty  of  the  celebrated  Lewis  Institute,  in  the  city  of 
Chicago,  and  being  now  a  representative  farmer  of  Kent  county. 

William  H.  Gay  attended  the  public  schools  of  Grand  Rapids  until, 
he  had  completed  the  curriculum  of  the  high  school.  His  health  was 
somewhat  delicate  at  this  stage  of  his  career,  and  in  order  to  obtain  the 
fullest  amount  of  fresh  air  and  a  quota  of  incidental  physical  exercise  he 
sought  outdoor  work.  After  being  thus  engaged  for  a  time,  he  entered 
the  factory  of  the  Berkey  &  Gay  Furniture  Company,  and  with  this 
great  establishment  he  has  literally  grown  up,  his  experience  having 
been  such  as  to  familiarize  him  with  all  details  of  the  business  of  which 
he  is  now  the  able  executive  head.  Besides  holding  preferment  as  presi- 
dent of  the  company,  he  is  also  the  general  manager  of  the  business,  and 
his  regime  in  this  capacity  has  shown  by  results  his  distinctive  admin- 
istrative capacity  and  progressive  policies.  Mr.  Gay  has  other  important 
capitalistic  interests  than  those  represented  in  the  great  corporation  of 
which  he  is  president.  He  is  a  director  of  each  of  the  following  named 
and  representative  financial  institutions  of  Grand  Rapids :  The  Fourth 
National  Bank,  the  Commercial  Savings  Bank,  the  People's  Savings 
Bank,  and  the  Michigan  Trust  Company,  besides  which  he  is  a  stock- 
holder in  other  financial  and  industrial  corporations.  He  devotes  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  and  attention  to  his   executive  responsibilities 


1772  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

as  president  and  general  manager  of  the  Berkey  &  Gay  Furniture  Com- 
pany, and  is  ever  found  ready  to  lend  his  influence  and  co-operation  in 
the  furtherance  of  movements  and  enterprises  projected  for  the  civic 
and  material  advancement  of  his  native  city,  where  his  circle  of  friends 
is  limited  only  by  that  of  his  acquaintances.  In  politics  Mr.  Gay  is 
aligned  as  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  cause  of  the  Republican  party, 
but  he  has  had  no  desire  for  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public  office. 
He  holds  membership  in  the  Baptist  church,  and  ]Mrs.  Gay  is  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  church.  They  are  prominent  in  the  representa- 
tive social  activities  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  their  beautiful  home  is  known 
for  its  gracious  hospitality. 

In  the  year  1888  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  2^Ir.  Gay  to  ]^Iiss 
Xetta  Cole,  daughter  of  the  late  Edwin  Cole,  who  was  long  a  representa- 
tive shoe  merchant  of  Grand  Rapids,  in  which  city  IMrs.  Gay  was  born 
and  reared. 

Julius  Er.astus  Thatcher.  Manager  of  the  Thatcher  Real  Estate 
Exchange,  with  offices  in  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  building  at  Detroit, 
Julius  E.  Thatcher  is  a  native  of  ^Michigan.  He  was  born  at  Pontiac, 
Oakland  county,  Alay  27,  1859,  son  of  Erastus  and  Fanny  Elizabetli 
(Richardson)  Thatcher.  Grandfather  Asa  Thatcher,  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, was  a  soldier  in  Washington's  armj-  during  the  Revolutionary 
war.  Julius  E.  Thatcher  is  one  of  the  few  men  still  living  who  had 
grandfathers  as  revolutionary  soldiers  and  is  probably  the  only  member 
of  the  Michigan  Chapter  of  the  Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  American 
Revolution  so  distinguished.  The  Thatchers  have  a  long  and  interesting 
geneaIog}^  The  first  of  the  name  was  Rev.  Thomas  Thatcher,  founder 
and  first  pastor  of  the  Old  South  church  in  Boston,  one  of  the  shrines  of 
American  patriotism.  Coming  from  England  to  America  as  early  as 
1635,  and  residing  for  a  time  in  the  Plymouth  colony  of  Massachusetts 
and  subsequently  moving  to  Boston,  Rev.  Thomas  Thatcher  performed 
his  first  ceremony  service  as  a  minister  in  what  was  known  as  the  old 
Cedar  Meetinghouse,  on  the  site  of  which  was  subsequently  erected  Old 
South  church,  an  institution  that  had  peculiar  relations  with  the  events 
of  colonial  and  revolutionary  history. 

Erastus  Thatcher,  father  of  the  Detroit  business  man,  was  born 
at  North  Bennington,  \'ermont,  October  30,  1825,  and  died  in  \\'ash- 
ington,  D.  C,  December  25,  1898.  In  the  early  fifties  coming  to  Michi- 
gan and  locating  at  Pontiac,  his  learning  and  ability  quickly  made  him  a 
man  of  prominence.  He  had  been  educated  in  Amherst  College,  was  a 
lawyer  by  profession  and  training,  served  as  first  mayor  of  Pontiac,  and 
practiced  law  in  that  city  until  a  short  time  before  the  Civil  war,  when 
his  interests  were  transferred  to  Saginaw,  where  as  a  merchant  his  suc- 
cess was  as  great  as  had  been  his  work  in  the  law.  In  1876  occurred  his 
removal  to  Washington,  D.  C,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  serving 
as  editor  of  the  Washington  Law  Reporter.  A  man  of  versatile  talents 
and  abilities,  his  success  in  each  field  of  endeavor  was  clear-cut,  and  his 
associates  regarded  him  as  a  leader  and  an  authority.  Fanny  Elizabeth 
Richardson,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  Pontiac,  was  a  native  of  New- 
York  state,  of  Quaker  stock,  daughter  of  Peter  Richardson,  who  became 
a  pioneer  farmer  of  Oakland  county  in  Michigan.  Mrs.  Erastus  Thatcher 
died  in  1895  at  the  age  of  sixty-two. 

After  finishing  his  education  in  the  Ann  Arbor  high  school,  Julius 
E.  Thatcher  in  18S0  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States  \\"eather 
bureau  at  Washington.  That  service,  almost  like  that  of  the  army,  in- 
volved much  change  of  residence,  and  in  1889  the  department  sent  him 
to  Texas,  where  he  worked  as  a  weather  forecaster  for  about  three  years. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1773 

On  leaving  the  government  service  'Mr.  Thatcher  engaged  in  the  insur- 
ance business  at  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  as  agency  director  for  the  New 
Yorlv  Life  Insurance  Company.  He  was  in  the  bond  and  banking  busi- 
ness at  Chicago  until  1910,  at  which  time  the  Thatcher  Real  Estate 
Exchange  was  established  in  Detroit.  Mr.  Thatcher  is  the  owner  of 
some  valuable  improved  real  estate  in  Detroit,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Detroit  Real  Estate  Board  and  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce.  His 
wife  before  her  marriage  was  Miss  Maude  A.  Metcalf,  a  native  of  Rome, 
New  York,  and  a  daughter  of  Eliot  and  Mira  A.  (Metcalf)  Metcalf. 
Eliot  Metcalf  was  in  the  direct  line  of  descent  from  the  Eliot  family  from 
which  is  also  descended  Professor  Charles  Eliot,  formerly  of  Harvard 
University.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thatcher  have  one  daughter.  Vera. 

Arthur  Elliott  Owen,  M.  D.  Few  among  the  younger  genera- 
tion of  Michigan  physicians  have  gained  a  more  substantial  reputation  in 
the  special  field  of  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  than  that 
which  has  crowned  the  career  of  Dr.  Arthur  Elliott  Owen,  of  Lansing. 
He  is  a  native  of  Michigan  and  a  descendant  of  two  pioneer  families  of 
the  state,  those  of  Owen  and  Gardutt.  He  was  born  on  the  family  farm  in 
Grand  Blanc  townshij),  Genesee  county,  Michigan,  October  6,  18S2,  and 
is  a  son  of  William  Elliott  and  Ella  Mary  (Gardutt)  Owen. 

The  Owen  family  is  of  Welsh  stock,  but  its  members  have  been  in 
America  for  at  least  four  generations,  the  ^Michigan  settler  being  William 
Owen,  who  was  a  native  of  New  York  state  and  came  to  Michigan  dur- 
ing the  early  days  of  the  history  of  this  commonwealth.  Taking  up  land 
in  Grand  Blanc  township,  of  the  present  site  thereof,  he  cleared  and 
improved  a  good  farm,  and  there  spent  the  remaining  years  of  his  long, 
active  and  useful  life.  The  farm  is  stiU  in  the  possession  of  the  Owen 
family.  William  Elliott  Owen  was  born  on  the  old  homestead,  which  he 
inherited  from  his  father,  and  resided  on  it  for  a  number  of  years,  but 
subsequently  removed  to  the  village  of  Grand  Blanc,  although  he  con- 
tinued to  superintend  the  operations  on  the  home  place.  In  1894  Mr. 
Owen  left  Grand  Blanc  and  went  to  the  city  of  Detroit,  and  there  has 
continued  to  reside  to  the  present  time.  Ella  Mary  Gardutt,  the  mother 
of  Doctor  Owen,  was  born  at  Drayton  Plains,  Michigan,  a  daughter  of 
Richard  Gardutt,  a  Michigan  pioneer,  and  she  also  survives  and  resides 
in  Detroit. 

The  primary  education  of  Doctor  Owen  was  secured  in  the  village 
schools  of  Grand  Blanc,  and  subsequently  he  entered  the  Central  High 
school,  Detroit,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1903.  At  that  time  he 
took  up  the  study  of  medicine,  and  a  short  time  later  became  a  student 
in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  being  graduated  from  that  noted  in- 
stitution with  the  class  of  1907,  and  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
During  the  following  year  he  embarked  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Lansing,  as  assistant  to  Doctor  Foster,  with  which  well-known 
physician  he  continued  two  years,  and  then  succeeded  him  in  practice. 
Since  that  time  Doctor  Owen  has  established  a  professional  business 
that  extends  all  over  Ingham  county,  confining  himself  to  treatment  of 
diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat.  Doctor  Owen  has  been  p.  con- 
stant and  close  student  of  his  profession,  and  has  spent  much  of  his  time 
in  research  and  investigation.  In  1910  he  furthered  his  fine  training  by  a 
trip  to  Europe,  where'he  took  post-graduate  work  in  the  cities  of  Lon- 
don, England,  and  Vienna,  Austria.  He  belongs  to  the  Ingham  County 
Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American 
Medical  Association.  His  finely-appointed  offices  are  located  at  No.  12S 
West  Allegan  street,  where  he  has  a  large  medical  library  and  the  finest 
instruments  known  to  the  profession.     Fraternally,  Doctor  Owen  is  iden- 


1774  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

tified  with  Lansing  Lodge  No.  66,  of  the  .]\Iasonic  order,  and  Lansing 
Lodge,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  The  Doctor  is  un- 
married. 

Ch.arles  N.  Belcher  has  been  a  member  of  the  Manistee  County  Bar 
during  the  past  twelve  years.  The  name  Belcher  is  the  old  French  for 
"Bel  chere" — good  company.  "Bon  compagnon,"  or  goodfellow,  would 
be  another  form.  Chaucer  has  it,  "For  cosynage  and  eek  for  bele  cheer." 
Kingswood,  Wiltshire,  England,  has  been  the  seat  of  the  Belcher  fam- 
ily for  centuries.  The  family  coat  of  arms  is  Poly  of  six  or  (gold)  and 
gules  (red  )  a  chief  vair.  The  family  crest  was  a  greyhound's  head  erased 
(i.  e.  not  "couped"  or  cut  oil,  but  torn  off)  ermine.  The  motto,  "Loyal  au 
Mort" — Loyal  even  to  death. 

The  Belcher  family  in  America  is  traced  directly  back  to  one  of  the 
family  who  came  to  the  colonies  on  the  Mayflower.  Later  one  of  the  fam- 
ily became  Governor  of  New  Jersey,  and  another  of  New  Hampshire. 

Elisha  Belcher,  the  grandfather  of  Charles  N.  Belcher,  was  born  at 
Boston,  Alassachusetts,  in  1810,  and  in  1826  came  to  ^Michigan.  He  be- 
came a  lawyer  of  exceptional  ability  and  for  a  number  of  years  served  on 
the  bench,  dying  in  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  in  1852. 

C.  M.  Belcher,  father  of  Charles  N.  Belcher,  was  born  at  Kalamazoo 
in  1839.  He  was  a  member  of  Co.  I,  First  Michigan  Cavalry,  during  the 
Civil  War,  the  last  thirteen  months  of  which  he  was  confined  in  Ander- 
sonville,  Libby  and  other  southern  prisons.  He  was  married  in  1868  to 
Nellie  Norton,  who  was  born  at  Cooper,  Michigan,  in  1843,  her  parents 
having  come  to  Alichigan  from  Connecticut.  ;\Ir.  Belcher  was  engaged  in 
the  cattle  business  in  "south-western  Kansas  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
now  resides  at  Manistee. 

Charles  N.  Belcher  was  born  at  Otsego,  Michigan,  in  1876.  He  re- 
ceived the  degree  of  A.  B.  in  1898  from  Kansas  University,  and  M.  A. 
from  the  same  institution  in  1899.  He  graduated  from  the  Law  School  at 
the  University  of  Michigan  in  1901.  He  was  married  to  Elizabeth  May 
Vickers  of  Paola,  Kansas,  January  i,  1903. 

Mrs.  Belcher  secured  her  degree  of  A.  B.  from  the  University  of 
Kansas  in  1899,  and  M.  A.  from  the  University  of  ^Michigan  in  1902.  She 
is  prominent  in  club  work  in  ]\Ianistee.  Mr.  and  yirs.  Belcher  have  two 
daughters,  Helen  aged  eight  years,  and  Hazel,  aged  six  years. 

Mr.  Belcher  has  offices  in  the  First  National  Bank  Building.  While 
his  practice  is  general,  he  has  specialized  in  commercial  and  real  estate 
law.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  has  served  as  prosecuting  attorney 
of  Manistee  Countv.  as  United  States  commissioner,  and  as  a  member  of 
the  School  Board  of  Manistee  city  schools,  of  which  he  was  secretary  for 
five  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  the  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  being  Past  Exalted  Ruler  of  B.  P.  O. 
E.  No.  250. 

Drs.  W.  and  C.  M.  Ryno.  It  is  not  unusual  to  lind  the  members  of 
a  family  showing  a  predilection  for  the  same  line  of  business  or 
profession,  the  son  inheriting  from  the  father  the  qualities  which  have 
made  for  success  in  a  chosen  field.  Particularly  is  this  true  in  the  science 
of  medicine,  and  an  illustration  in  point  may  be  found  in  the  persons  of 
Drs.  Wakeman  and  Corydon  Mott  Ryno,  father  and  son,  of  Benton  Har- 
bor, who  are  numbered  among  the  most  prominent  physicians  of  South- 
western ^Michigan. 

The  Ryno  family  is  accounted  one  of  the  pioneer  organizations  of 
Berrien  county,  where  the  founder  was  a  worthy  citizen,  and  the  two  suc- 
ceeding generations  have  proven  themselves  worthy  to  bear  the  name  of 


HISTORY  OF  AIICHIGAN  1775 

the  Michigan  pioneer,  John  Boice  Ryno.  That  stalwart  early  settler  was 
born  at  Ovid,  Seneca  county.  New  York,  April  2,  1821,  and  was  a  son  of 
John  Stites  Ryno,  a  native  of  Westfield,  New  Jersey.  He  removed  from 
Jersey  to  Seneca  county,  New  York,  and  died  there' in  1825.  John  Boice 
Ryno  married  at  Trumanlnirg,  New  York,  Sabra  Garrett,  who  was  born 
at  that  place.  Losing  his  father  at  the  age  of  four  years,  John  B.  Ryno 
acquired  only  a  common  school  education  in  the  schools  of  Seneca  county, 
and  when  a  youth  of  seventeen  years  began  an  apprenticeship  to  the  trade 
of  blacksmith.  In  1851,  seeking  a  new  lield  for  his  activities,  he  came  to 
the  West,  securing  some  wild  land  in  Hagar  township,  Berrien  county, 
where  his  family  joined  him  in  1856.  In  1859  ^^^-  Ryno  traded  his  wild 
land  for  an  improved  farm  near  Coloma,  in  Watervliet  township  and  re- 
moved thereto,  and  there  carried  on  blacksmithing  and  farming  until  i860, 
when,  after  losing  an  eye  he  gave  up  his  trade  and  concentrated  his  entire 
energies  upon  the  pursuits  of  the  soil,  and  continued  to  be  so  engaged 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  April  18,  1900,  Mrs.  Ryno  having  died  in  1889. 
He  was  originally  a  Whig  in  his  political  views,  and  subsequently  became 
a  Lincoln  Republican,  giving  his  support  to  that  party  during  the  remainder 
of  his  life,  although  he  was  not  an  office  seeker,  he  always  took  a  good  and 
public-spirited  citizen's  interest  in  affairs  of  a  political  character. 

Dr.  ^^'akeman  Ryno,  son  of  John  Boice  Ryno,  was  born  at  Lodi, 
.Seneca  county.  New  York,  June  9,  1849.  He  received  his  literary  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  at  Coloma.  and  subsequently  attended  the 
Trumanburg  (New  York)  Academy.  He  was  a  lad  of  seven  years  when 
he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Michigan,  and  here  he  grew  up  amid  rural 
surroundings,  but  was  not  satisfied  to  remain  a  farmer,  and  with  the  in- 
tention of  entering  upon  a  professional  career  took  up  the  study  of  med- 
icine. He  was  graduated  from  the  medical  department  of  the  University 
of  Michigan  with  the  class  of  1872,  and  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine,  and  two  years  later  took  post-graduate  work  at  Bellevue  Hos- 
pital, New  York  City.  In  1872  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, at  Coloma,  where  he  remained  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  successful 
patronage  until  1891,  and  in  that  year  came  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he 
has  since  continued.  The  doctor  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Ber- 
rien County  Medical  Society  in  1873 ;  member  of  the  State  Medical  So- 
ciety, 1886,  and  the  American  Medical  Association,  1886;  Michigan  Cre- 
mation Society,  1887 ;  also  a  member  of  the  F.  A.  M.,  K.  T.  and  S.  A.  R. 
He  is  the  author  of  "Amen,"  an  astro-theological  work,  1910;  and  "The 
Ryno  Family,"  now  ready  for  the  press. 

In  1875  Doctor  Ryno  was  married  at  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  to  Miss 
Hannah  Jane  Rosa,  who  was  born  in  Hagar  township,  Berrien  county, 
i\Iichigan,  daughter  of  Wallace  Rosa,  a  pioneer  of  that  township.  At 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Rosa  enlisted  in  a  Michigan  regiment 
of  volunteers,  as  did  his  three  brothers,  but  while  they  all  returned  safely 
home  at  the  end  of  their  periods  of  enlistment,  Mr.  Rosa  died  as  a  pris- 
oner of  war  in  the  horrible  Andersonville  stockade,  of  starvation. 

Dr.  Corydon  Mott  Ryno,  son  of  Dr.  Wakeman  Ryno,  was  born  at 
Coloma,  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  January  31,  1876,  and  early  gave  evi- 
dence of  a  predilection  for  his  father's  profession.  He  received  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools,  and  after  some  preparation  entered  Rut- 
gers College,  N.  t-.  where  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1898  with  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Sciences.  He  then  continued  his  medical  studies 
under  his  father's  preceptorship  for  a  short  time,  and  then  entered  the 
medical  department  of  Yale  University,  there  receiving  his  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine  in  1901.  Succeeding  this.  Doctor  Ryno  spent  a  year 
in  study  and  travel  in  Europe,  and  in  1903  returned  to  Benton  Harbor 
and  joined  his  father  in  practice.    Doctor  Ryno  has  also  been  prominent 


1776  HISTORY  OF  AIICHIGAN 

in  puljlic  affairs  in  the  city,  having  Ijeen  elected  alderman  in  1909.  In 
1910  he  was  elected  to  the  mayoralty,  but  in  1912  met  with  defeat,  only  to 
be  re-elected  to  that  office  in  1914.  He  is  giving  his  city  a  good,  clean  and 
business-like  administration,  which  has  been  characterized  by  progress 
and  advancement  in  civic  affairs. 

On  July  16,  1902,  Doctor  Ryno  was  married  to  Miss  Ida  Eder,  of  Chi- 
cago, and  they  have  three  children:  Dorothea,  Elizabeth  and  Jane. 
Doctor  Ryno  is  a  member  of  the  Berrien  County  Medical  Society,  the 
Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  ^ledical  Association. 
He  belongs  also  to  Lake  Shore  Lodge  No.  29S,  F.  &  A.  IM.,  to  Michigan 
Consistory  of  the  thirty-second  degree  and  to  Saladin  Temple,  A.  A.  O. 
X.  !\I.  S.,  of  Grand  Rapids,  ^Michigan. 

Hox.  Orvice  R.  Leon.\rd.  In  business  circles  Mr.  Leonard  is  best 
known  in  Detroit  and  through  Michigan  as  general  agent  in  the  Lower 
Peninsula  for  the  National  Surety  Company  of  New  York,  and  is  an 
insurance  man  of  long  and  varied  experience,  both  in  this  state  and  else- 
where. Mr.  Leonard  has  recently  completed  his  second  term  in  the  [Mich- 
igan legislature,  where  his  service  was  particularly  valuable  in  insurance 
legislation  and  also  in  the  investigation  of  the  affairs  of  the  Pere  Mar- 
quette railroad  system.  A  successful  business  man,  he  has  also  been  hon- 
ored at  various  times  with  -important  offices  and  his  home  has  been  in 
Detroit  for  more  than  twenty-years. 

Orvice  R.  Leonard  is  a  New-Ejiglander  by  birth,  born  at  Keene,  New 
Hampshire,  September  24,  1865.  His  parents  were  Henry  O.  and  Har- 
riette  (  Hendrick)  Leonard.  Henry  O.  Leonard  was  born  in  \'ermont  in 
1839,  the  son  of  Oliver  R.  Leonard,. a  native  of  that  state  and  a  descendant 
of  an  old  New  England  family.  Henry  O.  Leonard  was  for  four  and  a 
half  years  in  the  service  of  the  government  during  the  Civil  war,  and 
though  enlisting  as  a  private  soldier  on  account  of  his  fine  penmanship 
was  detailed  for  clerical  work  in  the  field  department.  As  a  boy  he  had 
learned  fine  finish  work  in  cabinet  making  and  kindred  lines,  and  that  was 
the  basis  of  his  regular  vocation  all  his  life,  being  employed  on  the  higher 
class  of  work  on  pianos  and  wagons.  His  career  was  spent  in  ^'ermont 
and  New  Hampshire  until  his  declining  years,  and  he  now  makes  his  home 
in  Cambridge,  [Massachusetts.  Fraternally  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church.  His  wife,  Harriette  Hendrick,  was  born 
in  New  Hampshire  in  1836  and  died  in  1887.  Ancestors  in  both  the 
Leonard  and  Hendrick  lines  served  as  soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary  war 
and  the  war  of  1812. 

Mr.  Orvice  R.  Leonard  grew  up  and  received  his  educational  advan- 
tages in  the  two  New  England  states  of  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire, 
attending  the  public  schools  of  Keene  and  also  of  Brattleboro,  \'ermont, 
and  was  also  a  student  in  the  \^ermont  Academy  at  Saxton's  River.  His 
business  e.xperiences  began  as  clerk  in  a  mercantile  store,  and  was  varied 
by  considerable  work  as  a  piano  and  organ  tuner.  After  coming  to  De- 
troit in  1890  [Mr.  Leonard  was  for  two  years  chief  clerk  in  the  office  of 
Register  of  Deeds  in  Wayne  county.  This  was  followed  by  eleven  years 
in  the  bond  business.  In  1903  [Mr.  Leonard  became  resident  manager  in 
Detroit  for  the  National  Surety  Company,  and  since  1908  has  served  that 
company  as  general  agent  for  the  Lower  Peninsular  and  under  his  man- 
agement that  company  has  a  well  fortified  position  in  all  parts  of  the 
state. 

Mr.  Leonard  has  had  an  interesting  military  career.  Back  in  X'ermont 
he  spent  nine  years  in  the  National  Guards,  and  after  coming  to  [Michigan 
was  in  the  [Michigan  Naval  Reserve,  and  during  the  Spanish-American 
war  went  with  that  notable  organization  on  the  famous  cruise  on  board  the 


rai  jfiw  leMt 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  ]777 

U.  S.  S.  Yosemite,  a  ship  that  won  unusual  honors  while  in  Cuban  waters. 
Since  locating  in  Detroit  he  has  been  more  or  less  actively  identilied  with 
the  Republican  party,  and  has  accepted  several  appointments  outside  the 
usual  routine  of  public  office.  In  1906  President  Roosevelt  appointed  him 
the  first  marshal  of  the  United  States  court  for  China,  and  for  several 
months  he  was  located  at  Shanghai.  President  Taft,  in  1910,  made  him 
supervisor  of  census  for  the  first  district  of  Michigan.  In  the  same  year 
came  his  first  election  to  the  Michigan  legislature  as  representative  of  the 
first  district  in  Wayne  county,  and  in  1912  he  was  re-elected,  his  plurality 
the  second  time  being  nearly  3.000.  During  the  session  of  1913  Mr. 
Leonard  was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  insurance  in  the  House,  and 
the  various  important  insurance  measures  that  were  considered  and  en- 
acted in  the  law  bore  the  impress  of  his  thorough  experience  and  judg- 
ment. However,  his  time  was  chiefly  taken  up  in  that  session  with  the 
investigation  of  the  Pere  Marquette  Railroad  system.  It  was  largely  due 
to  his  efiforts  that  the  bill  was  passed  for  the  organization  of  the  Michigan 
Naval  Reserve.  Mr.  Leonard  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  affi- 
liates with  the  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows  order,  and  belongs  to  the  Detroit 
Athletic  Club  and  other  clubs. 

Georce  Whitfield  P.\rker.  Prominent  in  railway  trafific  circles  in 
Detroit,  George  Whitfield  Parker  is  one  of  the  well  known  and  active 
business  men  and  civic  leaders  of  the  Michigan  metropolis,  and  outside 
of  his  immediate  and  chief  business  has  connections  with  a  number  of 
the  commercial  and  social  organizations  of  the  city.  His  family  has  been 
prominent  in  the  city  for  a  great  many  years,  and  Mr.  Parker  is  a  native 
son  of  Detroit. 

George  Whitfield  Parker  was  born  in  Detroit,  May  5,  1870,  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Helen  Dodsley  (Watts)  Parker.  The  parents  were  born 
and  married  in  England,  coming  to  the  United  States  about  the  close  of 
the  Civil  war.  Their  first  home  was  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  from  there  they 
came  to  Michigan,  and  after  a  residence  of  brief  duration  at  Saginaw, 
located  in  Detroit.  Thomas  Parker  was  an  expert  in  the  manufacture  of 
leather  belting,  and  that  was  his  line  of  work  for  many  years.  In  the 
religious  life  of  Detroit  he  had  a  very  active  part.  Reared  a  ]\Iethodist, 
on  coming  to  Detroit,  he  identified  himself  with  the  Jeflferson  Avenue 
]\Iethodist  Episcopal  church,  a  church  which  at  that  time  had  its  home  at 
the  corner  of  Jeiiferson  and  St.  Aubin  Avenues.  The  subseiiuent  removal 
of  that  church  caused  Mr.  Parker  to  affiliate  with  the  Memorial  Presby- 
terian Church  at  the  corner  of  Joseph  Campau  Avenue  and  Clinton 
Streets.  The  pastor  of  the  Memorial  Church  was  the  Rev.  Cooper,  D.  D., 
who  had  been  a  lifelong  friend  of  Mr.  Parker.  With  that  church  he 
continued  a  working  member,  and  was  also  a  ruling  elder.  Some  years 
later  the  family  home  was  moved  to  the  northern  part  of  Detroit,  and 
there  the  late  Mr.  Parker  became  a  member  of  the  Highland  Park  Pres- 
byterian church,  in  which  he  was  a  ruling  elder  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  died  July  15,  1907,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  and  his  widow  sur- 
vives, being  now  in  her  seventy-third  year. 

George  W.  Parker,  during  his  boyhood  in  Detroit,  attended  the 
Duffield  school,  and  the  Central  high  school.  His  equipment  for  life  was 
further  improved  by  attendance  at  the  Detroit  Business  University.  His 
first  regular  position  on  the  ladder  of  advancement  was  as  a  clerk  in  ^Mac- 
Farland's  Book  Store,  a  well  known  old  shop,  which  in  those  years 
stood  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Majestic  Building.  After  three 
months'  experience  in  the  book  shop,  ^Ir.  Parker  found  a  place  with 
greater  opportunities,  and  which  opened  the  way  for  his  permanent  career. 
He  entered  the  office  of  James  H.  Muir,  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway, 


1778  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

and  continued  in  the  traffic  department  of  that  road  in  different  capacities, 
inckiding  work  as  rate  clerk,  chief  clerk,  soliciting  freight  agent,  and 
traveling  freight  agent,  until  September  4,  1900.  At  that  date  came  his 
resignation  in  order  to  take  the  place  of  general  express  and  freight  agent 
of  the  Detroit  United  Railway,  and  its  suburban  lines.  That  is  the  im- 
portant office  which  ]\Ir.  Parker  holds  at  the  present  time,  in  transporta- 
tion affairs  centering  at  Detroit.  He  is  one  of  the  best  known  traffic 
officials  in  the  city,  and  has  served  as  secretary  three  years  and  presi- 
dent three  years  of  the  Detroit  Transportation  Club. 

On  October  8,  1910,  Mr.  Parker  accepted  the  honorary  position  as  a 
member  of  the  Perry  Victory  Centennial  Commission  for  the  state  of 
Michigan.  He  has  since  acted  as  chairman  of  the  Michigan  Committee, 
and  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Interstate 
Board  of  the  Perry  \'ictory  Commission,  this  committee  having  charge 
of  the  erection  of  the  memorial  of  that  celebration  at  Put-in-E!ay.  Sep- 
tember loth,  and  nth,  1913.  Among  other  social  and  civic  relations 
enjoyed  by  Mr.  Parker  is  his  membership  with  the  Detroit  Board  of  Com- 
merce, the  Detroit  Club,  the  Detroit  Boat  Club  and  the  Detroit  Athletic 
Club  (New).  He  is  prominent  in  Y.  AI.  C.  A.  work  and  a  member  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  church. 

On  June  20,  1906,  Mr.  Parker  married  }\Iary  C.  McGregor,  who  was 
born  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  a  daughter  of  Robert  B.  and  Anne  Mc- 
Gregor, now  residents  of  Detroit. 

John  Leo  Burk.\rt,  M.  D.  One  of  Michigan's  able  surgeons  and 
stirring  and  helpful  citizens  is  Dr.  John  Leo  Burkart,  of  Big  Rapids, 
secretary  of  the  Alichigan  State  Board  of  Health  and  for  many  years 
prominently  identified  with  medical  and  National  Guard  affairs.  Doctor 
Burkart  is  a  Canadian  by  birth,  born  in  County  Norfolk,  Ontario,  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1853,  and  is  a  son  af  the  late  Anselem  Burkart,  of  Canada  and 
Michigan,  who  was  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany,  and  came  to  America  in 
1 85 1,  settling  in  County  Norfolk,  Ontario,  Canada,  where  a  brother,  Sef- 
rin  Burkart,  was  then  residing. 

The  first  of  the  family  to  come  to  America  was  William  Burkart,  the 
eldest  brother  of  Anselem  Burkart,  a  musician,  who  emigrated  in  about 
the  year  1845  and  settled  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  a  mu- 
sician in  the  bands  of  the  old  circus  men,  Barnum  and  \'an  Amburg,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  band  which  played  for  Jenny  Lind,  "the  Swedish 
nightingale,"  on  her  first  tour  of  America  under  the  management  of  P. 
T.  Barnum.  Anselem  Burkart,  the  father  of  Doctor  Burkart,  learned  the 
moulding  trade  in  Germany  and  in  Canada  he  and  his  brother  Sefrin  es- 
tablished a  foundry  at  Delhi,  in  the  county  of  Norfolk.  There  Mr.  Burk- 
art married  the  daughter  of  Squire  Patrick  Doyle  of  Talbot  street,  a 
native  of  Ireland  and  a  noted  pioneer  of  that  county.  Later  Anselern 
Burkart  sold  stoves  throughout  Ontario,  traveling  through  the  country  in 
a  wagon  and  selling  direct  to  the  people,  thus  disposing  of  the  first  stove 
sold  in  that  county.  In  1882  he  removed  to  Detroit,  Michigan,  where  he 
became  a  traveling  salesman,  and  continued  to  be  so  engaged  until  within 
a  few  years  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1899,  when  he  was  seventy- 
seven  years  of  age.  ^Irs.  Burkart  still  survives,  and  is  now  making  her 
home  with  her  son.  Doctor  Burkart,  at  Big  Rapids. 

The  primary  education  of  Doctor  Burkart  was  acquired  in  the  Can- 
adian grammar"  schools,  following  which  he  was  prepared  for  college  at 
St.  Michael's  College,  Toronto,  and  began  the  study  of  medicine  in  1870 
at  Ingersoll.  Entering  \'ictoria  Medical  College  (now  a  part  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Toronto)  he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  ]\Ied- 
icine  in  May,  1874,  and  at  once  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  chosen 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1779 

profession  at  Beechville.  County  Oxford,  Ontario.  In  1876  Doctor  Burk- 
art  spent  some  time  in  Philadelphia,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  at- 
tended Trinity  ^ledical  College  ( now  a  part  of  the  University  of 
Toronto),  there  receiving  his  AI.  B.  degree  in  1877.  Following  this  he 
took  the  examination  before  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  and 
next  became  a  licentiate  of  the  Ontario  College  of  Pharmacy,  subse- 
quently opening  a  drug  store  at  Thamesford,  County  Oxford,  Ontario, 
where  he  also  practiced  medicine  for  four  years.  In  1881  Doctor  Burk- 
art  came  to  Big  Rapids,  Michigan,  to  accept  a  partnership  with  Dr.  W.  A. 
Hendricks,  and  at  the  same  time  became  attending  surgeon  to  Mercy 
Hospital,  Big  Rapids,  which  position  he  held  until  he  moved  to  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  in  1895.  In  1894  he  was  appointed  captain  and  as- 
sistant surgeon  of  the  Second  Regiment  Infantry,  Michigan  National 
Guards,  in  1895  removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  and  in  April,  1898,  went  with 
his  regiment  into  the  Spanish-American  War.  While  absent  from  the 
city,  he  was  appointed,  May  i,  1898,  city  physician  of  the  city  of  Grand 
Rapids.  Doctor  Burkart  went  into  service  as  captain  and  assistant  sur- 
geon of  the  Thirty-second  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served 
throughout  the  period  of  the  war,  seeing  service  at  Tampa  and  Fernan- 
dino,  Florida,  and  Huntsville,  Alabama.  Upon  being  mustered  out  of 
the  army,  October  2-j.  189S,  he  took  up  his  duties  as  city  physician  of 
Grand  Rapids,  from  which  office  he  retired  in  June,  1900. 

In  July,  19CX),  Doctor  Burkart  was  offered  and  accepted  an  appoint- 
ment as  acting  assistant  surgeon  in  the  medical  corps  of  the  United  States 
army  and  served  his  first  tour  of  three  years  duty  in  the  Philippine 
Islands,  seeing  active  service  in  the  Department  of  the  Vizayas,  returning 
to  the  United  States  in  1903.  During  all  this  time  he  continued  to  hold 
his  commission  in  the  Michigan  National  Guard,  and  in  June,  1903,  was 
promoted  major  and  surgeon  of  the  Second  .]\Iichigan  Infantry,  serving 
with  his  regiment  in  the  joint  military  manoeuvers  at  West  Point.  On 
February  i,  1904,  the  Doctor  returned  to  the  Philippines  and  served  his 
second  tour  of  duty  as  acting  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Medical  Corps, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1906  was  assigned  to  duty  at  Fort  Sheridan,  Chicago, 
and  subsequently  at  Fort  Wayne,  Detroit.  He  retired  from  the  service 
December  22,  1908,  to  return  to  Big  Rapids  to  take  up  private  practice. 
Doctor  Burkart  was  appointed  secretary  of  the  Michigan  State  Board  of 
Health,  with  headquarters  at  Lansing,  in  December.  1913,  and  took  up 
his  duties  Februarv  i,  1914.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Mecosta 
County  Medical  So'cietv  and  of  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  hav- 
ing served  as  president  of  the  surgical  section  of  the  latter  society  and 
as  president  of  the  Tri-County  Medical  Society  of  Northern  Michigan. 
He  held  the  chair  of  Materia  ^Medica  and  Therapeutics  at  the  Grand 
Rapids  Medical  School,  and  is  department  adjutant  of  the  Department 
of  :\Iichigan  of  the  Spanish-American  War  Veterans  Society.  Doctor 
Burkart  resigned  from  the  Michigan  National  Guard  in  1904  being  the 
first  officer  to  be  retired  under  the  new  law  regulating  retirement  there- 
from. He  has  been  prominent  in  Catholic  fraternal  affairs  in  Michigan, 
having  served  as  grand  president,  grand  medical  examiner,  grand  chan- 
cellor and  in  other  capacities  in  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benefit  Asodation  of 
Michio-an,  was  a  charter  member  of  Grand  Rapids  Council  of  the 
Kniglits  of  Columbus,  and  belongs  to  the  \\'oodmen  and  the  Independent 
Order  of  Foresters. 

Doctor  Burkart  was  married  in  1888  to  Ellen  Jane  McGurrin,  a  sister 
of  Gen.  William  T.  :McGurrin,  who  is  prominently  known  in  Grand 
Rapids  and  throughout  the  state.  Four  daughters  have  been  born  to  this 
union  namelv:  Marv  Clarissa,  Helen  Alphonsa,  Gertrude  Philomena, 
and  Catherine  Harriet,  all  at  present  attending  the  University  of  Pitts- 
burgh, Pennsylvania. 


17S0  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

Robert  Daniel  Tripp.  If  to  be  the  founder  of  one's  own  fortune, 
to  face  seemingly  insuperable  difficulties,  and  by  untiring  perseverance 
make  a  name  widely  known  and  respected,  be  to  hold  an  honored  record, 
then  Robert  Daniel  Tripp  is  worthy  of  a  foremost  place  on  the  roll  of 
men  who  have  helped  to  build  up  the  city  of  Petoskey.  A  native  son  of 
this  place,  although  he  is  still  a  young  man,  his  career  has  been  one  of 
striking  accomplishments  in  varied  fields  of  endeavor,  and  his  versatility 
has  been  shown  by  his  connection  with  widely  diverging  vocations. 

Robert  Daniel  Tripp  was  born  at  Petoskey,  Michigan,  February  6, 
1878,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Gorden)  Tripp,  residents  of  this 
city.  His  father,  a  native  of  Canada,  was  in  his  early  life  widely  known 
as  a  soldier  of  fortune  who  passed  through  numerous  exciting  experi- 
ences in  the  earlv  davs  of  the  Far  West,  being  a  chum,  associate  and 
friend  of  Col.  William  F.  Cody  ("Bufifalo  Bill").  During  the  Civil  War 
he  enlisted  in  the  Eleventh  Kansas  Cavalry,  and  took  a  conspicuous  part 
in  the  activities  of  that  famous  organization,  also  being  active 
in  the  capture  of  manv  desperadoes  and  bushwhackers  during  the  days 
of  the  black-hearted  Ouantrell  and  the  James  boys.  Mr.  Tripp  wooed 
and  won  his  bride,  a  native  of  ^lississippi.  while  on  his  campaign  in  that 
state,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  came  to  Midland,  Michigan,  and  settled 
on  wild  land,  hewing  a  farm  out  of  the  woods.  There  he  resided  until 
the  year  1876,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Bear  Creek  township, 
Emmet  county,  Michigan,  securing  another  farm,  which  he  homesteaded, 
and  which  was  also  improved  into  a  valuable  property.  Mr.  Tripp  re- 
tired from  farming  and  in  1904  moved  to  Petoskej'  here  becoming  a 
member  of  the  police  force.  ^Slr.  Tripp  is  a  Mason,  in  which  he  has  at- 
tained to  the  Knight  Templar  degree,  and  is  a  Republican  in  his  political 
views.  He  and  his  wife  have  been  the  parents  of  ten  children,  as  follows: 
]\Iarion,  who  met  an  accidental  death  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  being 
drowned  in  Traverse  Bay ;  Willard,  who  was  fifteen  years  old  when  ac- 
cidentally killed  by  a  lumber  pile  falling  on  him ;  Henry  and  Bartlett, 
who  both  died  in  childhood;  a  daughter,  who  died  in  infancy;  Albert, 
who  was  last  heard  from  seven  years  ago  when  at  Alabatt,  in  the  Philip- 
pine Islands,  a  soldier  during  the  Philippine  insurrection  in  the  com- 
mand of  Gen.  Fred  Funston ;  Robert  Daniel :  Ralph  Ray,  who  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Toledo,  C)hio;  Orrell,  who  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Dodge  and  re- 
sides at  Bay  Shore,  Michigan ;  and  Effie,  who  is  the  wife  of  George  Brill, 
of  \\'alloon  Lake,  Michigan. 

Robert  Daniel  Tripp  was  ten  years  of  age  when  he  left  school  to 
accept  a  position  in  the  handle  works  (Brown's)  at  Petoskey,  and  sub- 
sequentlv  worked  on  farms  until  learning  the  trade  of  cooper.  For  a  time 
he  was  emploved  at  the  heading  mills  at  Bay  Shore,  and  then  spent  a  year 
as  a  sailor,  in  the  meantime  working  in  the  lumber  woods  during  the 
winter  months.  Realizing  the  need  of  further  education,  on  every  op- 
portunity he  applied  himself  faithfully  to  his  studies,  chief  among  which 
was  mathematics,  in  which  he  became  very  proficient.  At  the  outbreak 
of  the  Spanish-American  War,  Mr.  Tripp  enlisted  in  the  Thirty-fifth 
Regiment,  ^^lichigan  \'olunteer  Infantry,  continuing  to  serve  therewith 
until  the  close  of  hostilities,  when  he  returned  to  his  home.  Three  months 
later,  when  President  .^IcKinley  declared  war  upon  the  Philippines,  he 
went  to  Chicago  and  enlisted  in  the  Thirtieth  United  States  Volunteer 
Infantrv,  and  went  to  the  islands  and  engaged  in  various  battles  and  skir- 
mishes.'seeing  a  great  deal  of  active  service.  On  his  return  to  ^Michigan. 
Mr.  Tripp  began  a  course  in  civil  engineering  and  mathematics  and 
eventually  secured  a  position  as  assistant  engineer  under  Fred  \\'illiams, 
\vith  whom  he  worked  during  1901-5,  learning  every  detail  of  this  pro- 
fession.    In  1906  Mr.  Tripp  was  appointed  city  engineer  of  Petoskey, 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1781 

by  Mayor. George  Raycraft,  a  position  which  he  has  continued  to  hold  to 
the  present  time,  witli  the  exception  of  one  year,  and  during  a  part  of  that 
time  devoted  himself  to  the  building  of  three  miles  of  stone  road  as  one 
of  the  contractors.  \Vhen  his  contract  was  completed,  Mr.  Tripp  went 
to  Florida  and  was  engaged  for  some  time  in  surveying  in  Orange  and 
Seminole  counties,  and  upon  his  return  was  again  appointed  city  engineer 
and  resumed  his  duties  as  such.  Mr.  Tripp  has  thoroughly  mastered  the 
details  and  practical  application  of  the  Storm  sewer  system,  extending  to 
sanitary  sewering  and  water  works,  and  during  his  incumbency  of  his 
present  office  has  built  the  greater  part  of  the  streets  in  the  business  por- 
tion of  the  city,  of  asphaltic  concrete,  without  the  aid  of  a  consulting 
engineer.  A  septic  tank  project  is  now  under  way,  under  Mr.  Tripp's 
supervision,  and  will  be  completed  in  1914,  at  a  cost  of  several  thousand 
dollars.  An  active  Democrat  in  his  political  views,  Mr.  Tripp  has  long 
taken  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  in  1906  his  popularity  was 
demonstrated  when  he  was  elected  county  surveyor,  the  first  Democrat 
in  eighteen  years  to  hold  a  county  office  in  Emmet  county  Fraternally, 
Mr.  Tripp  has  been  active  as  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  in  both  of  which  orders  he  has 
numerous  friends.  Mr.  Tripp  has  been  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes, 
and  as  one  of  his  community's  self-educated,  self-made  men  is  entitled  to 
the  high  esteem  and  respect  in  which  he  is  universally  held  by  the  people 
of  the  communities  in  which  his  labors  have  been  prosecuted  and  his 
successes  accomplished. 

On  August  16,  1905,  Mr.  Tripp  was  married  at  the  home  of  the 
bride,  in  Bear  Creek  township,  Emmet  county,  to  Miss  Minnie  Bohm,  a 
native  of  Saginaw,  Michigan,  and  a  daughter  of  Karl  and  Sophia  Bohm, 
and  to  this  union  there  have  come  two  children,  Ruth,  born  December  15, 
1909.  Mrs.  Tripp  is  a  devoted  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  church. 
The  family  resides  in  a  pleasant  home  at  Petoskey,  where  their  many 
friends  are  frequently  entertained. 

John  Taylor  Nichols.  This  prominent  lawyer  of  Detroit,  where 
he  has  been  active  in  his  profession,  and  also  as  a  business  man  for  the 
last  twenty  years,  is  a  representative  in  the  third  generation  of  the  Nichols 
family,  which  has  probably  contributed  more  to  the  development  of 
manufacturing  and  industry  in  the  state  of  Michigan  than  any  other 
individual  family  group.  The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Nichols,  the  lawyer, 
was  John  Nichols,  one  of  the  founders  and  for  many  years  president  of 
Nichols  &  Shepard  Company,  of  Battle  Creek  manufacturers.  His 
father  is  Hon.  Edwin  C.  Nichols,  who  still  has  a  guiding  hand  in  the 
industrial  fortunes  of  the  city  of  Battle  Creek  and  is  president  of  the 
Nichols  and  Shepard  Company.  Mr.  John  T.  Nichols  himself  has  an 
executive  position  as  vice  president  in  the  great  company  founded  by 
his  father,  and  developed  largely  by  its  members.  In  a  history  of  the 
notable  personalities  of  the  State  of  Michigan,  there  is  an  obvious  pro- 
prietv  in  giving  space  to  the  record  of  the  \arious  members  of  the 
Nichols  famil^^ 

The  late  John  Nichols,  the  pioneer  of  the  name  in  ^Michigan,  was  born 
at  Liverpool",  Onondaga  county,  New  York,  January  i,  1814,  cameto 
Michigan  territory  in  1835,  and  after  a  long  and  remarkable  career  died 
at  his  home  in  Battle  Creek,  April  15,  1891.  John  Nichols  was  one  of  the 
remarkable  men  of  the  last  century.  His  work  was  largely  created,  and 
his  industry  and  character  became  the  foundation  on  which  rests  the 
material  prosperitv  of  one  of  Alichigan's  larger  cities.  Personally  he  was 
a  man  of  untiring  industry,  great  executive  capacity,  indomitable  energy 
and   perseverence,  and  never   faltered   before  the   untried  obstacles  that 


1782  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

barred  his  way.  Business  sagacity  was  less  an  element  in  his  success  than 
solid  ability  to  do  and  direct  others  in  doing. 

His  parents,  Eliakini  and  Sally  Nichols  were  early  settlers  of  western 
New  York.  It  was  in  practically  a  pioneer  community  that  John  Nichols 
spent  his  youth,  and  had  only  limited  schooling  in  the  modern  sense. 
When  thirteen  years  old  he  began  figuring  his  own  fortune,  and  at  Pal- 
myra became  an  apprentice  to  the  moulder's  and  iron  foundry  trade.  This 
trade  became  the  basis  for  his  subsequent  career.  In  1834  at  the  age  of 
twenty,  he  married  Miss  Nancy  C.  Galloway.  They  had  an  unusually 
long  and  happy  wedded  life,  which  was  prolonged  beyond  their  golden 
wedding  anniversary,  until  the  death  of  Mrs.  Nichols,  December  26, 
1892. 

In  1835  John  Nichols  brought  his  young  wife  to  the  territory  of 
Michigan,  the  settlement  of  which  was  only  begun  in  most  of  the  south- 
ern counties.  After  one  year  in  Lenawee  county  he  found  work  in  the 
machine  shops  then  maintained  by  the  state  of  Michigan,  which  was  con- 
structing the  Michigan  Central  Railroad.  In  1848,  he  went  west  and 
located  at  Battle  Creek,  which  thereafter  was  his  home,  and  was  the  seat 
of  his  larger  enterprise.  He  was  first  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
stoves,  plows  and  other  farm  implements  and  iron  castings.  To  his  plant 
were  afterwards  added  facilities  for  making  engines,  saw  mill  and  grist 
mill  machinery.  In  1850  he  crossed  the  plains  into  California,  but  after 
a  brief  residence  tiiere  returned,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  David 
Shepard,  thus  beginning  the  firm  name  which  has  continued  for  more 
than  sixty  years,  and  now  has  an  international  reputation  wherever 
agriculture  flourishes. 

Their  earliest  output  was  one  of  the  crude  types  of  grain  threshers  in 
use  during  the  decade  of  the  fifties.  They  made  a  good  machine,  how- 
ever, and  they  invented  great  improvements  which  soon  made  it  the  lead- 
ing threshing  machine  of  its  day  and  generation.  Their  business  ever 
since  has  kept  abreast  of  the  inventions  and  facilities  of  each  succeeding 
decade.  It  was  largely  owing  to  the  genius  and  practical  business  talent 
of  Mr.  Nichols  that  the  product  acquired  its  popularity,  and  in  a  few 
years  the  first  shop  was  unable  to  fill  the  orders  for  the  "Vibrator"  thresh- 
ing machine  as  it  was  called.  In  1870  a  stock  company  was  organized, 
and  extensive  works  were  built  on  the  east  side  of  Battle  Creek,  at  the 
place  now  called  Nichols  Station.  The  late  John  Nichols  was  not  only 
a  great  industrial  captain,  but  he  also  possessed  a  generous  public  spirit 
and  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  fellow  men.  He  was  the  first  to  under- 
take the  building  of  homes  for  workingmen,  and  he  did  much  to  make 
the  lives  of  his  employes  more  comfortable.  The  Nichols  Memorial 
Hospital  in  Battle  Creek  is  a  monument  to  his  substantial  interest  in  his 
community.  In  politics  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  afterwards  equally  loyal 
to  the  Republican  principles.  He  never  sought  office  and  was  quite 
content  to  do  his  dutv  through  the  avenues  of  private  citizenship.  A 
great  lover  of  forest  and  streams,  he  was  an  eager  sportsman,  and  for 
many  years  it  was  his  delight  to  take  a  party  of  invited  friends  into  the 
wilds  of  the  north  and  west  during  the  autumn  hunting  season.  For  for- 
ty-four successive  years  did  he  follow  this  most  interesting  habit,  and  the 
"Vibrator"  hunting  party,  of  which  he  was  the  host  and  directing  spirit, 
with  its  multitude  of  people,  its  pack  of  hounds  and  the  camp  equipage 
and  supplies  for  entertaining  most  royally  his  friends  and  the  passers-by 
for  many  week,  was  one  of  the  notable  events  of  each  season.  Many 
scores  of  men  in  Michigan  and  elsewhere  will  recall  with  interest  and 
pleasure  his  generous  hospitality. 

The  late  John  Nichols  was  the  father  of  three  children.  His  daugh- 
ter, ;\Irs.  Helen  N.  Caldwell,  died  March  8,  1903,  and  a  younger  daugh- 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1783 

ter,  Alary  Elizabeth  Nichols,  died  in  1854.     His  only  son  and  surviving 
cRild  is  Hon.  Edwin  C.  Nichols. 

Edwin  C.  Nichols,  both  during  his  father's  lifetime  and  since,  has 
been  one  of  the  vital  forces  in  the  progress  of  Battle  Creek  and  the  State 
of  Alichigan.  He  was  born  in  Lenawee  county,  at  the  town  of  Clinton, 
July  20,  1838,  only  about  one  year  after  .^Michigan  became  a  state.  Edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  Battle  Creek,  he  received  his  practical  education 
for  a  career  in  the  industry  founded  by  his  father.  He  started  in  at  the 
bottom  and  learned  every  detail  thoroughly.  Air.  Nichols  has  been  iden- 
tified with  the  Nichols  &  Shepard  Company,  since  1857,  and  to  him  is 
due  the  credit  for  the  later  successful  enlargement  of  tlie  industry.  The 
plant  at  Battle  Creek  as  developed  under  his  presidency  now  covers 
about  forty  acres  of  ground,  gives  employment  to  five  or  six  hundred 
skilled  workmen,  and  its  product  in  threshing  machines  finds  a  market 
in  all  parts  of  the  world.  Mr.  Nichols  is  also  president  of  the  Old  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Battle  Creek,  and  he  is  director  of  half  a  dozen  or  more 
large  local  industries  and  business  enterprises  of  that  city. 

In  politics  Edwin  C.  Nichols  has  done  much  for  the  Republican  party 
in  Michigan.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  constitutional  convention.  He 
has  steadily  refused  all  the  larger  political  honors,  such  as  nomination  to 
congress  and  for  governor,  but  has  served  his  home  city  as  mayor,  as 
president  of  the  school  board,  and  was  the  first  president  of  the  board  of 
public  works  of  Battle  Creek.  Edwin  C.  Nichols  is  a  Knights  Templar 
Mason,  is  prominent  in  the  club  life  of  Battle  Creek,  and  is  also  well 
known  in  Detroit,  where  he  has  membership  in  the  Detroit  Club,  the 
Detroit  Country  Club,  and  the  Yondotega  Club.  He  belongs  to  the 
old  and  exclusive  Chicago  Club  of  Chicago.  While  not  a  member  of  any 
particular  church,  he  has  always  been  liberal  in  his  support  of  religion 
and  benevolence.  The  Nichols  Memorial  Hospital  at  Battle  Creek  is  an 
institution  in  which  he  is  much  interested,  and  he  has  done  much  to  sup- 
port and  maintain  this  hospital.  Battle  Creek  both  in  its  past  and  present 
attainments  owes  much  to  the  broad  capacity  and  ability  of  Mr.  Nichols. 

Edwin  C.  Nichols  in  i860  married  Sarah  J.  Rowan  of  Argyle,  New 
Y'ork.  She  was  a  daughter  of  James  Hvatt  and  at  her  death  in  1897  she 
left  three  children.  These  are  Mrs.  Helen  N.  Newberry  of  Chicago, 
Illinois;  Mrs.  Harriet  Atterbury  of  Detroit:  and  John  T.  Nichols  of 
Detroit.  All  the  children  were  born  and  partly  educated  in  Battle  Creek. 
Both  the  daughters  completed  their  education  in  a  Seminarv  for  young 
ladies  near  Boston,  Massachusetts. 

The  only  male  representatives  of  the  Nichols  family  in  its  third  gener- 
ation in  Michigan,  John  Taylor  Nichols  was  born  in  Battle  Creek  on 
February  3,  1868.  From  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  he  entered 
Cornell  University,  where  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  i88g  in 
the  literary  department.  In  1892  he  was  graduated  LL.  B.  from  the 
Harvard  Law  School,  and  in  the  same  year  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
Calhoun  county.  Air.  Nichols  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Federal 
court,  in  1894. 

His  practice  as  a  lawyer  began  in  Battle  Creek  in  the  offices  of  Hul- 
l.iert  &  Aleetcham.  After  about  a  year,  in  1893,  he  located  in  Detroit,  and 
was  connected  with  the  firm  of  Russe!  &  Campbell  until  1889.  Since  that 
year  he  has  practiced  alone.  Mr.  Nichols  has  membership  in  the  Detroit 
and  Alichigan  Bar  Associations.  As  already  stated  he  is  vice  president  of 
the  Nichols  and  Shepard  Company  of  Battle  Creek  and  is  a  director  in 
the  Oak  Belting  Company  of  Detroit. 

Socially  Mr.  Nichols  has  membership  in  the  Detroit  Club,  the  Y'anto- 
dega  Club,  the  Racquet  Club,  the  Country  Club,  and  the  New  Detroit 
Athletic  Club.    Mr.  Nichols  married  Helen  Beaudrier  de  Morat  of  Piiila- 


1784  HIST(3RY  OF  MICHIGAN 

delphia,  the  daughter  of  Oliver  Beaudrier  de  Morat.  They  are  the 
parents  of  the  following  cliildren,  who  are  the  fourth  generation  of  the 
Nichols  name  in  ilichigan :  Helen  Ikaudrier  de  Morat  Nichols,  and 
Joan  Nichols. 

James  J.  Jones.  After  James  J.  Jones  had  completed  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  Genesee  county,  he  took  up  a  business  career,  and  for 
the  past  fifteen  years  has  enjoyed  an  increasing  success  as  a  merchant  at 
Clio. 

Born  at  Arcade.  New  York,  April  24.  1870,  he  is  a  son  of  Frederick 
and  Amanda  F.  (Gleason)  Jones.  His  mother,  who  was  born  in  Rut- 
land, ^'ermont,  was  of  Scotch-Irish  stock.  His  father  was  born  at 
Arcade,  New  York,  of  Holland-English  stock  and  in  the  family  there 
is  a  revolutionary  ancestor,  Daniel  Bakeman,  who  after  his  service  on 
the  American  side  during  the  war  of  independence  lived  to  the  extreme 
age  of  one  hundred  and  nine  years,  and  is  buried  at  Freedom  in  New 
^'ork  State.  The  father  brought  his  family  west  to  Michigan,  on  April 
5,  1881,  engaged  in  farming  in  Genesee  county,  and  now  lives  on  the  old 
farmstead  at  Clio,  aged  seventy-one  years.  He  also  had  a  military  record, 
having  served  with  the  State  Troops  of  New  York  during  the  Civil  war. 
The  j)arents  were  married  in  Allegany  county.  New  York,  and  the  mother 
died  in  March,  1907,  at  Clio  when  sixty-one  years  of  age. 

James  J.  Jones,  who  was  the  third  of  five  children,  was  eleven  years 
old  when  the  family  located  in^ Genesee  county,  and  finished  his  school- 
ing, which  had  been  begim  at  Arcade  Center,  New  York,  at  the  district 
school,  and  later  the  high  school  at  Clio.  For  several  years  he  was  a 
teacher,  and  on  March  11,  1899,- established  his  present  business,  which 
from  a  small  beginning  he  has  developed  and  now  carries  a  lafge  stock 
of  merchandise  with  a  well  established  trade  over  a  large  community. 
He  is  also  interested  in  small  fruit  farming,  making  a  specialty  of  straw- 
berries, raspberries  and  peaches.  His  farm  of  eighty  acres  is  one  of  the 
best  in  the  township.  He  has  also  done  his  part  in  community  affairs,  and 
served  as  township  clerk  for  four  terms.  His  politics  is  Democratic.  The 
township  is  normally  Republican  by  two  hundred  majority. 

Mr.  Jones  affiliates  with  the  Maccabees  and  is  record  keeper  of  the 
local  tent.  His  church  is  the  Methodist  Episcopal.  At  Clio,  on  Sep- 
tember 16,  1896,  he  married  Miss  Rose  Haven,  a  daughter  of  Ahira  and 
Rosanna  Haven,  who  were  of  an  old  family  in  this  part  of  Michigan, 
and  still  live  in  Clio.  To  their  marriage  have  been  born  the  following 
children:  Ralph  \V.  Jones,  born  in  1899,  and  now  attending  school; 
Paul  Haven  Jones,  born  June  14,  1903,  and  also  in  school ;  Lois  ^I.  Jones, 
born  June  31,  1910,  and  died  in  191 1.  Mr.  Jones  has  always  taken  a 
lively  interest  in  the  religious  and  educational  life  of  the  village  of  Clio. 
He  taught  a  Simday  school  class  for  nearly  twenty  years  and  he  is  at 
present  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education. 

Fr.xxk  Elliott  Tyler.  President  and  director  of  the  \Vashington 
Theatre  Company  of  Bay  City,  a  director  and  the  largest  stockholder  in 
the  Bav  City  Bank,  a  director  in  the  Crapo  Building  Company,  Mr.  Tyler 
is  one  of  the  old  and  stanch  business  men  of  Bay  City,  where  he  has  lived 
for  over  forty  years,  and  where  his  scope  of  business  and  civic  activities 
have  been  centered.  In  later  years  he  has  confined  his  attention  chiefly 
to  real  estate,  but  there  are  a  number  of  concerns  which  have  contributed 
to  the  ])rosperity  and  substantial  enterprise  of  Bay  City  with  which  his 
name  has  been  identified. 

P'rank  Elliott  Tyler  was  born  April  4,  1852,  at  Flushing,  Michigan. 
His  parents  were  Dr.  Columbus  V.  and  Marie  (Harrick)  Tyler.     With 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1785 

a  good  home  training  and  with  an  education  practical  but  not  ornamental, 
Mr.  Tyler  was  nineteen  years  old  when  he  and  his  parents  came  to  Bay 
City.  His  first  eniplo}-ment  was  two  years  as  bookkeeper  in  the  dry  goods 
firm  of  iMunger  &  Company,  and  from  that  establishment  he  went  into 
the  Bay  City  Bank,  with  which  solid  institution  he  has  been  connected 
for  forty  years,  first  as  bookkeeper,  later  as  assistant  cashier,  and  now  in 
the  relation  which  has  been  above  stated.  On  leaving  the  clerical  work 
with  the  bank  Mr.  Tyler  engaged  in  the  livery  business.  His  enterprise 
was  the  nucleus  for  the  Bay  City  Omnibus  Company,  on  Saginaw  street. 
He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  company,  and  was  its  president  until 
recent  years.  He  was  also  on  the  board  of  managers  of  the  Shearer 
Brothers  Building  Company.  In  business  affairs  he  has  always  kept  with 
the  leaders  of  this  community. 

As  to  his  relations  with  the  civic  community  in  which  he  has  lived 
for  more  than  forty  years,  his  part  has  always  been  that  of  a  progressive 
and  public-spirited  citizen,  but  without  a  large  amount  of  his  time  de- 
voted to  office  holding.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  for  a 
time  after  being  elected  in  1890,  and  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  police 
commissioners  and  a  director  in  the  Elm  Lawn  Cemetery  Company. 
Until  1896  he  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  having  been  brought  up  in  that 
political  faith,  but  then  changed  and  voted  for  President  McKinley.  His 
fraternal  afliliations  are  chiefly  with  the  Masonic  order,  and  his  connec- 
tions are  with  Joppa  Lodge,  No.  315,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Bay  City  Chapter, 
No.  136,  R.  A.  M.;  and  the  Scottish  Rite  bodies  in  Bay  City  and  Detroit. 
He  belongs  to  the  Detroit  Consistory  and  to  the  Moslem  Temple  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine  at  Detroit.  He  is  also  interested  in  the  organization  of  the 
First  Elks  Club  in  Bay  City,  and  belongs  to  the  Bay  City  Club. 

In  1875  Mr.  Tyler  married  Ella  Fay,  whose  father,  Hon.  William  L. 
Fay,  was  one  of  the  first  mayors  of  Bay  City.  To  their  marriage  were 
born  three  children,  one  of  whom  is  deceased.  The  eldest  is  L.  Fay  Tyler, 
and  the  daughter  is  Jessie  Arvilla,  wife  of  W.  D.  McX'ay,  now  deceased. 

L.  Fay  Tyler,  a  son  of  Frank  E.  Tyler,  is  one  of  the  vigorous  young 
business  men  of  Bay  City,  and  though  not  yet  thirty  has  already  taken  a 
position  in  the  business  and  civic  community.  He  was  born  January  i, 
1885,  in  Bay  City,  grew  up  and  attended  the  public  schools,  and  then  en- 
tered the  Detroit  University,  where  he  was  graduated  as  a  mechanical 
engineer  in  1905.  While  a  member  of  the  University  he  was  a  leader  in 
athletic  s]iorts,  and  for  two  years  was  a  member  of  the  football  and  track 
teams.  On  leaving  college  Mr.  Tyler  spent  four  months  abroad,  and  on 
returning  to  Bay  City  acted  for  a  time  as  representative  of  the  Overland 
&  Northern  Automobile  Company.  Later  he  became  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  the  Pioneer  Boat  Pattern  Company,  and  for  three  years  was  an 
active  director  in  that  concern.  In  1914  he  organized  the  Bay  City  Au- 
tomobile Tire  &  Repair  Company,  and  they  have  the  distribution  of 
Firestone  tires  for  northeastern  Michigan,  and  they  also  have  the  largest 
and  most  complete  repair  shop  north  of  Detroit. 

On  the  20th  of  July,  1910,  at  Peoria,  Illinois,  Mr.  Tyler  married  Miss 
Nina  Harriet  Kuhl.  Her  parents  are  Theodore  and  Harriet  (Hurd) 
Kuhl,  her  father  being  president  of  the  Block  &  Kuhl  Dry  Goods  Com- 
pany, the  largest  dry  goods  company  in  Illinois  outside  of  Chicago.  Mr. 
Tyler  has  affiliations  with  the  Phi  Delta  Kappa,  in  Michigan,  and  he  is  a 
director  in  the  Crapo  Building  Company  and  is  secretary  of  the  Bay  City 
Recreation  Club. 

George  DeWitt  M.\son.  In  thirty-five  years  of  active  practice  as  an 
architect,  George  DeWitt  Mason  has  acquired  a  position  in  his  profes- 
sion in  the  State  of  Michigan,  and  his  reputation  is  well  known  in  many 


1786  HISTORY  OF  .MICHIGAN 

other  sections  of  the  United  States.  It  is  unnecessary  to  make  any 
claims  for  his  ability  except  as  are  expressed  through  his  record  of  prac- 
tical achievements.  It  would  be  possible  to  draw  up  a  long  list  of  notable 
•Structures  for  which  Mr.  .Mason  has  drawn  the  plans  and  supervised  the 
construction,  but  a  few  of  the  more  prominent  will  indicate  the  character 
of  his  work  and  will  show  that  he  has  been  retained  as  architect  on  some 
of  the  best  known  buildings  in  the  state  of  ^Michigan  and  the  citv  of 
Detroit.  He  planned  and  erected  the  Detroit  Masonic  Temple,  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  the  Trinity  Episcopal  Church,  the  Detroit  Opera 
House,  the  Hotel  Pontchartrain,  the  Detroit  Inre  and  Marine  Insurance 
building,  the  Herman  Kiefer  Hospital,  the  office  buildings  of  the  Hiram 
^^■alker  and  Sons  at  WalkerAille.  Canada,  the  L.  \V.  Bowen  residence 
on  Woodward  avenue,  and  the  .V.  L.  Stephens  residence  on  Jefferson 
avenue. 

George  DeW'itt  ]\Iason  was  born  in  the  city  of  Syracuse.  New  York, 
July  4,  1856,  a  son  of  James  H.  and  Zada  E.  (Griffin)  Mason.  Both  his 
father  and  mother  were  born  in  Syracuse,  came  to  Detroit  in  1870.  and 
spent  the  rest  of  their  days  in  that  city.  George  D.  Mason  attended  the 
public  schools  of  Syracuse,  where  he  lived  during  the  first  fourteen  years 
of  his  life,  and  finished  at  Detroit,  where  he  graduated  from  the  Detroit 
high  school  in  1873.  Beginning  the  study  of  architecture  in  the  office 
of  the  late  Henry  T.  Brush  of  Detroit,  and  being  possessed  of  a  special 
aptitude  for  the  art  he  made  rapid  strides  toward  proficiency,  and  was 
soon  doing  independent  work.  In  1878  Mr.  Mason  formed  a  partnershii) 
W'ith  Zachariah  Rice,  under  the  firm  name  of  ^lason  and  Rice,  which 
name  continued  until  1898.  The  partners  dissolved  in  that  year  and  Mr. 
Alason  has  since  continued  alone  in  his  profession. 

He  has  membership  in  the  Michigan  Chapter  of  the  .\merican  Insti- 
tute of  .•\rchitects,  belongs  to  the  Detroit  Club,  the  Masonic  Club  and 
other  social  organizations. 

In  1882  he  married  Miss  Ida  \\'hitaker,  a  daughter  of  Captain  Bvron 
\\"hitaker,  now  deceased,  a  former  well  known  citizen  of  Detroit.  ^Ir. 
and  Mrs.  ^lason  have  one  daughter,  Lillian,  who  married  Hal.  C.  Smith 
at  Detroit. 

J.^icon  Raquet.  a  resident  of  Saginaw  since  the  close  of  the  Civil 
war  and  now  retired  from  a  long  career  as  a  brewer.  Jacob  Raquet  de- 
serves honorable  mention  in  any  record  of  Saginaw's  citizenship  during 
the  last  half  century.  His  individual  prosperitv  is  bv  no  means  the  most 
important  distinction  of  Mr.  Raquet,  for  no  other  citizen  has  been  more 
liberal  handed  in  his  benefactions  and  has  been  more  ready  to  assist  in 
movements  for  the  advancement  of  the  community  along  well  defined 
lines  of  progress. 

Jacob  Raquet  was  born  in  Lamprecht.  Rhinepfalz,  Bavaria,  December 
13,  1844,  a  son  of  Henry  and  ^Margaret  (Hofman)  Raquet,  his  father 
having  lieen  a  prominent  business  man  in  his  native  citv.  There  were 
four  children  born  to  Henry  and  Margaret  Raqtiet,  and  all  were  edu- 
cated in  Lamprecht.  The  children  were  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  and 
both  the  sons  came  to  -America.  Peter  Raquet  was  the  oldest  of  the 
children;  Catherine  is  the  wife  of  Frederick  Koelsth  and  lives  in  the  old 
home  at  Lamprecht :  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Daniel  Koelsth,  the  sisters 
having  married  relatives,  and  she  also  lives  at  Lamprecht.  Peter  Raquet 
came  to  Saginaw  in  1862.  and  Jacob  came  at  the  close  of  the  Civil  war, 
in  1866.  In  the  following  year  the  brothers  organized  what  is  known  as 
the  Raquet  Brothers  Brewery  at  Saginaw.  That  institution  was  con- 
ducted with  glowing  success  by  them  until  1884,  and  Jacob  continued 
therein  until   1912,  when  he  sold  his  interest  and  the  business  was  reor- 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  .     1787 

ganized  into  \vliat  is  now  known  as  the  Star  Brewing  Company.  They 
had  an  up-to-date  business  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  their  brew 
quicklv  obtain  a  reputation  beyond  the  local  confines  of  Saginaw.  The 
Star  Brewery  was  one  of  the  leading  institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  quality 
of  its  output,  and  its  beers  are  distributed  throughout  ^Michigan.  Mr. 
Raquet  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Michigan  Paving  Brick  Com- 
pany, and  served  on  its  board  of  directors  until  191 1.  With  firm  faith 
in  the  future  development  and  prosperity  of  Saginaw,  his  earnings  have 
been  steadily  reinvested  in  local  real  estate,  and  he  has  not  only  been  an 
investor,  but  has  been  active  in  improving  all  his  property,  and  a  large 
number  of  buildings  might  be  noted  in  various  parts  of  the  city  which 
were  constructed  by  his  capital.  His  large  property  interests  represent 
a  life  time  of  hard  work,  energy  and  enterprise.  Throughout  his  career 
he  has  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  local  citizens,  and  counts  among  his  per- 
sonal friends  many  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  Michigan. 

Mr.  Raquet  is  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  church  and  also  of 
several  German  societies.  His  beautiful  home  is  at  118  North  Second 
street.  On  April  14,  1873,  occurred  his  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  Erni, 
who  was  born  in  Switzerland,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Erni,  who  for  a  long 
period  of  vears  lived  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  followed  his  vocation 
as  watchmaker,  a  profession  he  had  learned  in  Switzerland,  which  might 
be  considered  the  home  of  watchmaking.  Now  deceased,  he  was  one  of 
the  successful  jewelers  of  Cleveland.  To  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Raquet  were  born  six  children ;  three  of  whom  are  deceased,  and  the  liv- 
ing are :  John,  Alice  and  Wanda.  Mr.  Raquet  has  made  eight  European 
trips,  on  three  of  which  he  was  accompanied  by  his  family. 

M.\x  Heavenrich.  Few  merchants  in  Michigan  have  made  a  more 
noteworthy  record  of  progress  and  enterprise  than  Max_  Heavenrich, 
whose  name  has  been  indentified  with  successful  merchandising  in  Sagi- 
naw for  the  past  thirty-five  years.  He  and  other  members  of  the  family 
came  to  this  country  'practically  without  resources  and  without  friends 
in  the  new  world.  Their  ability  and  industry  quickly  found  them  useful 
places  in  mercantile  circles,  and  for  a  long  period  of  years  ^lax  Heaven- 
rich has  enjoyed  more  than  ample  prosperity.  With  a  high  sense  of  the 
duties  and  obligations  imposed  by  success  and  wealth,  he  has  long  ex- 
tended a  liberal  hand  toward  promoting  the  general  prosperity  of  his 
home  city  and  also  to  the  performance  of  a  great  deal  of  individual 
charity  and  benevolence.  The  people  of  Saginaw  gave  him  special  credit 
for  his  work  as  a  member  of  the  Merchants  and  Manufacturers  Associa- 
tion, of  which  he  is  a  director,  and  since  1913  the  president.  This 
association  some  years  ago  successfully  undertook  the  task  of  raising 
money  in  the  locality  and  inducing  other  capital  and  industry  to  make 
Saginaw  their  home'  Mr.  Heavenrich  was  chairman  of  the  committee 
of  six  members  who  raised  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  cash  to  bring 
factories  to  Saginaw,  and  the  plan  and  scope  of  the  undertaking  were 
originated  by  him  and  his  leadership  was  probably  the  most  effective  in- 
fluence in  making  it  a  success.  ]\Ir.  Heavenrich  is  also  an  active  member 
of  the  Saginaw  Board  of  Trade. 

Born  November  28,  1845,  at  Bamberg,  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  he  is  a 
son  of  Abram  and  Sarah  (Bru'ell)  Himmelreich.  After  the  sons  came 
to  America  they  translated  their  German  name  into  an  English  _equiva- 
lent,  and  Heavenrich  is  in  English  what  Himmelreich  is  in  German. 
Abram  Himmelreich,  the  father,  was  a  merchant  and  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  prominence  in  his  native  city  of  Bamberg,  where  all  his 
years  were  spent.     His  wife  also  lived  there  until  death. 

Of  the  nine  children  Max  was  the  sixth.    At  the  age  of  fourteen  his 


1788  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

boyhood  may  be  said  to  have  to  an  end,  and  in  the  meantime  he  had  ac- 
quired a  general  education  in  his  native  town.  His  two  older  brothers, 
Simon  and  Samuel,  had  already  gone  to  America  and  succeeded  in  es- 
tablishing themselves  in  business  at  Detroit,  and  Leavenworth,  Kansas. 
Max,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  followed  them.  After  a  short  visit  in  Detroit 
he  left  for  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  The  first  practical  experience  of  Max 
Heavenrich  in  America  was  gained  under  the  supervision  of  his  brother 
at  Leavenworth,  who  left  the  business  in  his  charge  two  years  later. 
Then  returning  to  Detroit  and  entering  his  brother's  store,  he  remained 
until  1868.  Then  being  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  started  a  mercantile 
career  on  his  own  account.  His  savings  gave  him  some  capital,  and  open- 
ing a  stock  of  goods  at  St.  Johns.  Michigan,  he  quickly  built  up  a  repu- 
tation with  his  creditors  and  with  the  community,  and  from  that  time  for- 
ward never  had  any  difficulty  in  getting  the  goods  he  needed  from  the 
wholesalers,  and  his  financial  rating  has  been  of  the  very  best.  For  ten 
years  St.  Johns  was  his  center  of  operation,  and  during  that  time  he  built 
up  a  very  large  enterprise.  Selling  out  his  interests  at  St.  Johns,  IMr. 
Heavenrich  moved  to  Saginaw,  in  1878,  thirty-si.x  years  ago.  There  he 
was  one  of  the  organizers  and  a  partner  in  an  establishment'  known  as 
the  Little  Jake  &  Company,  the  firm  being  composed  of  Jacob  Seligman, 
Max  Heavenrich  and  Carl  Heavenrich.  In  1882  the  Heavenrich  brothers 
bought  out  the  Seligman  interests,  and  the  firm  then  became  Heavenrich 
Brothers  &  Company.  They  bought  the  block  which  is  known  today  as 
the  Heavenrich  Block,  and  is  one  of  the  largest  brick  store  buildings  in 
Saginaw.  It  is  three  stories  in  height,  has  a  frontage  of  ninety  on  both 
Franklin  street  and  Genesee  avenue,  and  stands  as  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar shopping  centers  in  the  metropolis  of  northeast  Michigan.  In  1893 
the  death  of  Carl  Heavenrich  removed  one  of  the  active  members  of  the 
firm,  and  his  brother  Max  bought  his  interests  from  his  heirs.  Max 
Heavenrich.  since  coming  to  Saginaw,  has  been  the  active  head  and  presi- 
dent of  the  firm,  Samuel  Heavenrich  is  vice  president,  Max  Ph.  Heaven- 
rich is  treasurer  and  general  manager  and  Miss  Pepi  Heavenrich  is 
secretary.  The  history  of  the  firm  has  been  one  of  continued  success,  and 
the  store  is  the  largest  for  the  supplying  of  clothing  and  men's  furnishing 
goods  and  men's  and  ladies'  shoes  in  Saginaw.  The  sales  force  is  steadily 
kept  at  about  thirty-five  people.  Besides  his  activities  in  connection  with 
the  Merchants  and  Manufacturers  Association  in  inducing  industries  to 
locate  at  Saginaw,  Mr.  Heavenrich  has  directed  his  means  to  another 
worthy  and  really  benevolent  cause,  in  the  building  of  homes  for  work- 
ing jieople  and  extending  every  assistance,  consistent  with  conservative 
business,  to  enable  the  buyers  of  such  homes  to  eventually  become  owners 
and  householders.  Mr.  Heavenrich  is  known  throughout  Saginaw  for 
his  charitable  dis{X)sition  and  he  has  friends  in  all  the  walks  of  life. 

In  1883  he  built  a  fine  home  for  himself  at  603  South  Jei^'erson  ave- 
nue. In  the  year  1873  Mr.  Heavenrich  married  IMiss  Esther  Lilenthal, 
a  daughter  of  Rabbi  Max  and  Pepi  (Netter)  Lilenthal,  of  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  Their  two  children  are  Pepi  Heavenrich,  who  is  secretary  of  the 
large  mercantile  enterprise  of  which  her  father  is  president,  and  Max  Ph., 
who  is  general  manager  of  the  store.  Mr.  Heavenrich  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  order  since  18(18,  and  has  taken  the  degres  of  the  York 
Rite  and  belongs  to  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also  affiliated  with  the 
Elks  and  with  the  East  Saginaw  and  Country  Clubs.  He  is  a  communi- 
cant of  the  Hebrew  church  and  a  director  in  the  Jewish  Orphan  Asylum 
at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  During  recent  years  IVIr.  Heavenrich  has  found  the 
rigors  of  Michigan  winters  too  severe  for  his  health,  and  he  and  his  wife 
usually  spend  those  months  in  travel  in  the  south. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1789 

John  W.  Smart.  Vice  president  and  general  manager  of  the  Michi- 
gan Drug  Company,  of  Detroit,  also  known  as  Williams,  Davis,  Brooks 
and  Hirchman's  Sons,  the  largest  and  oldest  concern  in  the  wholesale 
drug  trade  in  the  state,  Mr.  Smart  belongs  to  a  family  that  is  generously 
represented  in  the  wholesale  circles  in  Michigan  and  elsewhere,  and  is 
himself  a  splendid  example  of  a  successful  man  who  has  it  in  him  to 
reach  high  places  and  accomplishes  his  ambition  regardless  of  conditions 
surrounding  his  youth.  Mr.  Smart  was  at  one  time  a  "tally  boy"  in  a 
lumber  yard,  also  dusted  off  the  bottles  in  a  retail  drug  store,  and  by 
studying  the  business  and  showing  his  ability  advanced  to  association  with 
one  of  the  leaders  in  the  American  drug  trade.  In  the  company  of  which 
he  is  now  an  executive  member  and  director,  the  other  important  names 
are:  James  E.  Davis,  president;  Alanson  S.  Brooks,  treasurer;  Maurice 
O.  Williams,  secretary;  William  H.  Dodd,  director;  and  Robert  S. 
Forbes,  superintendent. 

John  Walter  Smart  was  born  in  Port  Huron,  ^Michigan,  August  20, 
1874,  a  son  of  Rev.  James  S.  and  Elmira  (Carter)  Smart,  natives  re- 
spectively of  Maine  and  Ohio.  Rev.  Smart  devoted  his  life  to  the  min- 
istry of  the  Methodist  church,  became  prominent  in  his  conference,  and 
served  as  pastor  and  presiding  elder  of  many  districts.  For  a  long  period 
of  years  he  was  agent  for  the  Albion  College  of  Michigan.  His  death 
occurred  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  when 
sixty-two  years  of  age,  both  being  interred  at  Mount  Clemens.  Of  their 
eight  children  one  is  deceased,  and  the  family  record  is  as  follows: 
Frederick  A.  Smart,  the  oldest,  is  a  prominent  insurance  man  of  Detroit; 
Mary  S.  is  the  wife  of  John  W.  Symons,  a  wholesale  grocer  of  Saginaw; 
Nellie  is  the  wife  of  George  A.  Skinner,  of  Mount  Clemens,  Michigan; 
James  S.  Smart  is  a  retired  member  of  the  wholesale  grocery  house  of 
Lee,  Cady  &  Smart,  the  largest  firm  of  its  kind  in  the  state,  and  he  is  now 
living  in  Santa  Anna,  California ;  Minerva  is  the  wife  of  Albert  M. 
Miller,  a  lumber  man  of  Bay  City,  :\Iichigan,  and  who  also  holds  the  office 
of  postmaster  of  that  city;  Lilla  Grace  is  the  wife  of  Professor  Borris 
Ganapol,  of  Detroit. 

John  Walter  Smart,  after  finishing  his  education  in  Flint,  obtanied 
his  "first  position,  as  .clerk  in  a  Flint  drug  store,  a  short  time  later ;  the 
A.  M.  Miller  Lumber  Company  employing  him  as  tally  boy,  but  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  began  his  real  career  of  progress  when  he  came  to 
Saginaw  and  found  a  place  with  the  :\IcCausland  Wholesale  Grocery 
Company.  Mr.  James  Smart,  his  older  brother,  was  a  member  of  that 
firm.  Later  this  company  was  reorganized  and  became  the  Lee,  Cady  & 
Smart  Wholesale  Grocerv  Company.  In  1898  the  company  organized  at 
Saginaw  the  Saginaw  Valley  Drug  Company,  dealing  wholesale  in  drugs, 
and  in  1899  John  W.  Smart  became  manager  of  the  local  busuiess.  In 
1913  another"  reorganization  occurred,  and  out  of  several  large  constitu- 
ent drug  companies  resulted  the  present  Michigan  Drug  Company,  whose 
general  offices  are  in  Detroit  and  which  is  today  the  largest  concern  of 
its  kind  in  Michigan,  emploving  in  Detroit  two  hundred  and  fifty  people. 

On  November  25,  1902,  'Mr.  Smart  married  :\Iiss  Winifred  U.  Wood, 
of  Lansing,  a  daughter  of  John  L  and  Clara  (Price)  Wood.  Their  two 
children  are:  John  W.,  Jr.,  aged  nine,  and  Richard  Carter,  aged  hv-e. 
Mr  Smart  occupies  a  pleasant  home  at  1997  West  Grand  Boulevard,  De- 
troit, and  he  also  has  a  pleasant  summer  cottage^  on  Saginaw  Bay,  where 
the  hot  months  are  spent  with  his  wife  and  family. 

J  George  Keebler.  While  Air.  Keebler  for  the  past  ten  years  has 
been  identified  with  the  wholesale  grocery  trade  in  the  city  of  Jackson, 
and  is  now  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  the  city,  he  is  perhaps 

Vol.  IV— 3 


1700  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

best  remembered  by  most  people  for  his  long  and  efficient  service  in 
the  city  treasurer's  office.  JMr.  Keebler  was  for  tifteen  years  employed 
in  that  office,  first  as  clerk,  then  as  deputy,  and  then  for  six  years  as 
chief  of  the  office.  It  is  said  that  no  more  popular  candidate  ever  ap- 
peared in  Jackson  for  a  public  office  than  Mr.  Keebler,  who  had  two 
special  distinctions,  one  being  that  he  was  the  youngest  man  ever  elected 
to  the  office  of  city  treasurer,  and  the  second  that  he  obtained  the  largest 
majority  ever  paid  a  candidate  for  a  local  office. 

J.  George  Keebler  was  born  on  North  Jackson  Street,  in  the  city 
of  Jackson,  May  25,  i86g.  His  father,  the  late  J.  Fred  Keebler.  who 
died  August  8,  1905,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine,  was  born  in  W'uertemberg, 
CScrmany,  August  17,  1836.  and  was  for  more  than  forty  years  a  resident  of 
Jackson.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  for  thirty-eight  years  was 
employed  in  one  of  the  wood-working  plants  at  Jackson.  He  was  married 
October  15,  1864,  to  Wilhelmina  Schweitzer.  She,  too,  was  born  in  Wuer- 
temberg,  Germany,  on  November  8,  1844.  She  came  to  the  United  States 
with  her  parents,  Christian  Frederick  and  Barbara  (Schuster)  Schweitzer, 
March  7,  1855,  and  they  settled  at  Canandaigua,  New  York.  The  mother 
slill  lives  in  Jackson,  being  now  sixty-nine  years  of  age.  J.  George 
Keebler  had  two  brothers  and  five  sisters,  of  whom  only  three  sisters  are 
living,  namely :  Wilhelmina  Barbara,  the  wife  of  Martin  Braun,  of 
Jackson;  Sarah  Louise,  wife  of  B.  J.  Lowe,  of  Kalamazoo;  and  Mary, 
wife  of  L.  H.  Dabbert,  of  Saginaw.  Gertrude  M.  married  George  Breit- 
meyer  and  both  are  now  dead.  She  was  born  July  19,  1865,  and  died 
May  31,  1906.  Christian  F.,  bom  August  27,  1867,  died  March  14,  1894. 
J.  Frederick,  born  December  31,  1870,  died  January  5,  1871.  Katharine 
Eva,  born  May  7,  1874,  died  March  3,  1896. 

Mr.  Keebler  has  lived  in  Jackson  all  his  life,  grew  up  in  the  surround- 
ings of  his  home  locality,  on  North  Jackson  Street,  attended  school  for 
some  vears  until  he  had  the  practical  fundamentals  of  education,  but 
at  the  age  of  fifteen,  in  order  that  he  might  contribute  something  to  the 
family  welfare  he  left  school  and  engaged  as  shipping  clerk  in  the  sash 
and  blind  factory  of  S.  Heyser  &  Sons.  It  w-as  in  that  factory  where 
his  father  was  employed  for  so  many  years.  He  made  good  use  of  his 
opportunities  there,  but  was  soon  called  to  a  broader  field  of  work.  On 
October  i.  1888,  he  was  appointed  deputy  city  treasurer  under  E.  F. 
Lowrey,  and  continued  to  serve  as  Mr.  Lowrey's  assistant  for  five  years. 
T.  W.  Chapin,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Lowrey  as  city  treasurer,  retained 
the  services  of  this  capable  assistant  four  years  longer  and  on  .-Vpril 
5,  1897,  Mr.  Keebler  was  elected  treasurer  as  candidate  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  He  was  at  that  time  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  and  no 
younger  man  had  ever  been  called  to  this  important  office.  He  led  the 
ticket  by  a  majority  of  eleven  hundred  and  fifty  votes.  At  the  second 
election,  on  April  3,  1899,  ^^^-  Keebler  received  the  majority  of  nine- 
teen hundred  and  eighty-seven  votes,  and  in  the  annals  of  Jackson  city 
government,  no  larger  majorit\'  has  ever  been  given  a  candidate  for  ]3ublic 
office.  Again  on  April  i,  1901,  Mr.  Keebler  was  elected  for  a  third 
term,  and  again  led  his  ticket.  His  final  time  expired  on  May  5.  1903, 
and  after  six  years  of  service  in  which  he  made  his  office  a  place  for 
the  orderly  and  efficient  transaction  of  public  business,  he  retired  with 
the  continued  confidence  and  commendation  of  the  great  host  of  sup- 
porters and  friends,  who  had  steadily  stood  by  him  in  all  his  public 
career.  Since  leaving  the  office  in  1903  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
wholesale  grocery   firm  of  Howard,  Solon  &  Company. 

Mr.  Keebler  has  been  a  stanch  advocate  of  the  Democratic  party 
from  the  time  he  was  able  to  cast  his  first  vote,  and  since  leaving  the 
office  of  citv  treasurer,  has  served  four  vears  as  chairman  of  the  Demo- 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1791 

cratic  City  Committee,  and  four  years  as  police  commissioner.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Jackson,  is  affil- 
iated with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Royal  Ar- 
canum, the  Jackson  Schwaben  Verein,  the  Jackson  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce and  the  Jackson  Country  Club. 

On  June  7,  1904,  he  married  Miss  Mary  O'Rafferty,  of  Jackson. 
Mrs.  Keebler  was  born  in  Detroit,  October  3,  1879,  a  daughter  of  John 
O'Rafferty,  who  came  to  the  United  States  from  Ireland. 

Clarence  L.  Greilick.  The  initiative  and  constructive  ability  that 
augur  for  large  and  worthy  achievement  have  been  signally  exemplified 
in  the  career  of  Mr.  Greilick,  who  is  one  of  the  veritable  captains  of 
industry  in  Michigan  and  whose  well  ordered  enterprise  has  contributed 
in  great  measure  to  the  industrial  and  civic  precedence  of  Traverse  City, 
the  beautiful  metropolis  and  judicial  center  of  Grand  Traverse  county. 
He  is  president  of  the  Traverse  City  Chair  Company  and  also  of  tiie 
J.  E.  Greilick  Company,  manufacturers  of  library  tables,  chair-frames, 
etc.  These  represent  two  of  the  leading  industrial  enterprises  of  this 
section  of  the  state,  and  the  two  concerns  give  employment  to  a  force 
of  nearly  200  persons,  the  majority  of  whom  are  men  and  skilled  artisans. 
The  factories  are  essentially  modern,  the  buildings  being  of  substantial 
order  and  admirably  equipped,  the  aggregate  ground  space  utilized  being 
more  than  ten  acres.  The  plants  are  eligibly  situated  on  Grand  Traverse 
Bay  and  are  directly  accessible  to  the  three  railroads  and  boat  lines  en- 
tering Traverse  City,  so  that  the  shipping  facilities  are  excellent  and 
adequate.  Mr.  Greilick  has  not  only  shown  marked  circumspection  in 
the  upbuilding  of  these  important  enterprises  but  has  also  stood  exponent 
of  high  civic  ideals  and  much  public  spirit,  so  that  he  naturally  holds 
precedence  as  one  of  the  representative  men  of  affairs  in  his  home  city 
and  county. 

Further  interest  attaches  to  the  record  of  Mr.  Greilick  by  reason 
of  the  fact  that  he  was  born  in  the  city  that  is  now  his  home  and  is  a 
scion  of  an  honored  pioneer  family  of  this  part  of  the  Wolverine  State. 
He  was  born  in  Traverse  City  on  the  14th  of  August,  1869,  and  is  a 
son  of  Joseph  E.  and  Nancy  (Case)  Greilick,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  Austria  and  the  latter  of  whom  was  born  in  Gustavus,  Ohio, 
her  parents  establishing  their  home  in  Benzonia,  Michigan,  at  a  very 
early  dav.  Joseph  E.  Greilick.  a  son  of  Godfrey  Greilick,  was  a  child 
at  the  time  "of  his  parents'  immigration  to  the  United  States,  and  the 
family  disembarked  in  New  York  City  on  the  nth  of  September.  1848. 
They  remained  in  the  national  metropolis  until  1854,  when  they  came 
to  Michigan  and  settled  in  the  Grand  Traverse  region,  the  development 
of  which  had  at  that  time  been  represented  almost  entirely  in  connection 
with  the  lumbering  industry,  as  ]\Iichigan  had  been  admitted  to  state- 
hood only  about  a  decade  previously.  Godfrey  Greilick  became  one  of 
the  pioneer  lumbermen  of  this  part  of  the  state  and  continued  to  be 
identified  with  this  branch  of  industrial  enterprise  until  his  death,  his 
name  meriting  enduring  place  on  the  roll  of  the  sterling  pioneers  of 
northwestern  Michigan.  As  a  youth  Joseph  E.  Greilick  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade,  to  which  he  continued  to  devote  his  attention  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  in  connection  with  other  industrial  activities.  In  1867  he 
engaged  in  the  manufacturing  of  sash,  doors  and  blinds,  as  well  as  doing 
general  mill  work  of  incidental  order,  and  he  was  associated  with  the 
operation  of  one  of  the  first  planing  mills  in  Traverse  City,  as  an  in- 
terested principal  in  the  firm  of  Hannah,  Lay  &  Company.  In  1879  he 
purchased  the  interests  of  his  associates  and  he  thereafter  conducted 
in  an  individual  way  a  large  and  prosperous  business  until  his  death, 


1792  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

when  well  advanced  in  years,  his  wife  surviving  liini  l)y  several  years. 
Among-  the  large  contracts  carried  out  by  this  honored  citizen  was  the 
furnishing  of  all  the  mill  work  for  the  building  of  the  Northern  ]\Iichi- 
gan  Asylum  for  the  Insane,  in  Traverse  City.  He  was  one  of  the  pro- 
gressive and  influential  citizens  of  Grand  Traverse  county  during  the 
long  years  of  an  essentially  active  and  productive  business  career,  and 
he  did  much  to  further  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  Traverse 
City,  where  he  likewise  manifested  a  lively  interest  in  civic  affairs.  He 
was  generous  and  charitable  and  was  always  ready  to  aid  those  in  mis- 
fortune or  distress,  the  while  both  he  and  his  wife  were  zealous  members 
of  the  Congregational  church.  Mr.  Greilick  was  an  uncompromising 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  and  was  long  one 
of  its  influential  representatives  in  Grand  Traverse  county.  Of  the 
seven  children  in  the  family,  Clarence  L.,  of  this  review,  was  the  first- 
born ;  Ernest  W.,  is  vice  president  of  each  the  Traverse  City  Chair 
Company  and  the  J.  E.  Greilick  Company,  the  latter  of  which  per- 
petuates the  name  of  the  honored  father;  Amy  is  the  wife  of  Claire 
B.  Curtis,  of  this  city ;  Frances  is  the  wife  of  Albert  J.  Haviland,  as- 
sistant cashier  of  the  Traverse  City  State  Bank;  Arthur  is  a  member  of 
the  United  States  Navy  and  is  serving  on  the  battleship  "Tennessee'' ; 
Edna  died  in  childhood,  and  Josephine,  who  still  maintains  her  home 
in  Traverse  City,  is  aV  the  present  time,  1914,  a  student  in  the  Cincin- 
nati Conservatory  of  Music,  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Clarence  Leroy  Greilick  is  indebted  to  the  public  schools  of  Traverse 
City  for  his  early  educational  training.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years 
he  became  associated  with  the  operation  of  his  father's  planing  mill, 
and  he  learned  the  business  in  all  its  practical  details,  besides  familiariz- 
ing himself  with  its  administrative  policies,  his  apprenticeship  having  been 
as  thorough  as  would  have  been  that  of  any  youth  not  a  son  of  the 
proprietor  of  the  establishment.  In  1908  Mr.  Greilick  effected  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Traverse  City  Chair  Company,  of  which  he  became  the 
executive  head,  and  after  the  death  of  his  father,  in  consonance  with  a 
wish  shortly  before  expressed  by  the  latter,  he  brought  about  the  incor- 
poration of  the  J.  E.  Greilick  Company,  of  which  he  has  since  been 
the  president.  He  has  shown  marked  ability  and  discrimination  in  the 
up1)uilding  of  these  valuable  industrial  enterprises  and  both  as  a  citizen 
and  Inisiness  man  has  well  upheld  the  high  prestige  of  the  family  name, 
which  has  been  long  and  ]3rominently  identified  with  the  history  of 
Traverse   City. 

Mr.  Greilick  has  shown  especially  deep  interest  in  educational  affairs 
in  his  home  city,  where  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
education,  in  which  body  he  has  held  membership  on  a  number  of  the 
most  important  committees.  His  liberality  and  intrinsic  public  spirit 
were  further  shown  through  his  loyal  representation  of  the  Second 
ward  as  a  member  of  the  first  board  of  aldermen  of  his  native  city. 
His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Republican  party,  and  in  the 
Masonic  fraternity  he  has  received  the  chivalric  degrees,  as  a  memlier 
of  the  local  commandery  of  Knights  Templars,  besides  which  he  is  affil- 
iated with  the  Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine, 
the  Maccabees  and  the  Elks.  He  supports  the  Asbury  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  of  Traverse  City,  his  wife  being  a  zealous  communicant 
of  the  same. 

In  earlier  years  Mr.  Greilick  showed  his  appreciation  of  the  unex- 
celled attractions  of  northern  Michigan  as  a  sportsman's  paradise,  by 
becoming  an  ardent  fisherman  and  hunter  of  small  game,  and  at  the 
present  time  he  finds  his  chief  recreation  in  automobile  tours.  The 
beautiful  family  home,  situated  on  Grand  Traverse  Bay,  in  the  western 
division  of  the  city,  is  know-n  as  a  center  of  gracious  hospitality. 


^y  /Ccyt^A-^  ^7^;^^^^C^i-^:^^^^C__ 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1793 

In  1892,  at  Traverse  City,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Air. 
Greilick  to  Miss  Anah  McCool,  who  was  born  in  the  State  of  Indiana, 
and  they  have  three  children — J.  Edwin,  Agalia,  and  Leroy. 

KiRKE  Lathrop.  Secretary-treasurer  of  the  Michigan  United  Rail- 
way Company,  Kirke  Lathrop  has  been  identified  with  electric  transporta- 
tion and  other  public  facilities  in  Michigan  for  the  past  fourteen  years. 
Mr.  Lathrop  represents  an  old  American  family  of  colonial  stock,  is  a 
native  of  Detroit,  and  has  a  broad  and  diversified  experience  in  affairs 
both  in  this  country  and  abroad. 

Kirke  Lathrop  was  born  in  Detroit,  September  12,  1873.  His  father. 
Dr.  Henry  Kirke  Lathrop,  born  in  ^Michigan  in  1849,  was  for  many  years 
engaged  in  the  successful  practice  of  dentistry  in  Detroit.  He'  was  a 
graduate  of  a  dental  college  at  Cincinnati,  C)hio,  and  has  for  many  vears 
been  regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest  men  in  his  line  in  Detroit.  Dr.  Lath- 
rop's  father  was  Henry  Kirke  Lathrop,  Sr.,  who  was  born  at  West 
Springfield,  Massachusetts.  The  latter  was  a  son  of  Solomon  Lathrop, 
who  held  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  from  Yale  College,  and  who  es- 
tablished the  family  in  Michigan  in  1837,  where  he  rose  to  the  rank  of 
one  of  the  leading  pioneer  lawyers  of  the  state.  The  ancestry  is  English. 
The  Rev.  John  Lathrop,  AI.  A.,  came  from  England  to  America  in  1634, 
and  some  representatives  of  the  name  were  soldiers  in  the  war  of  the 
Revolution  and  had  also  participated  in  the  earlier  colonial  and  Indians 
wars.  Dr.  Henry  K.  Lathrop  married  Miss  Mary  Woodward  Gillett, 
a  native  of  Torringford,  Litchfield  county,  Connecticut.  Her  father, 
Rufus  Woodward  Gillett,  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  Detroit,  vice  presi- 
dent of  the  State  Savings  Bank  and  president  of  the  Detroit  Copper  and 
Brass  Rolling  Mills,  one  of  the  early  and  important  industrial  enter- 
prises of  the  city. 

Kirke  Lathrop  was  educated  in  the  Detroit  public  schools  and  the 
University  of  Michigan,  graduating  B.  L.  in  1896.  During  the  last 
year  of  his  regular  college  work  he  studied  law  and  continued  in  -the 
law  department  until  1897.  His  studies  were  interrupted  in  order  that 
he  might  accept  the  diplomatic  duties  of  vice-consul  and  acting  consul 
for  the  United  States  Government  at  Hanover,  Germany.  His  official 
duties  kept  him  abroad  until  1900,  and  in  the  meantime  he  had  gained  a 
broad  knowledge  of  the  German  language  and  commerce  and  institu- 
tions, and  his  residence  abroad  was  an  admirable  training  for  his  busi- 
ness career.  Since  his  return  to  Detroit  in  1900  Mr.  Lathrop  has  been 
identified  chiefly  with  public  utility  corporations  both  in  Detroit  and 
Grand  Rapids.  Besides  his  office  as  secretary-treasurer  of  the  Mich- 
igan United  Railway  Company,  he  has  at  different  times  been  identified 
with  other  business  aft'airs. 

Mr.  Lathrop  is  a  member  of  the  American  Historical  Association,  of 
the  Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  the  Society  of 
Colonial  Wars,  and  the  Huguenot  Society  of  New  York  City.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Club,  the  University  Club,  the  Country 
Club,  and  the  Lake  St.  Clair  Hunting  and  Fishing  Club,  better  known  as 
the  Old  Club.  At  London,  England,  October  5,  1901,  Mr.  Lathrop  mar- 
ried Miss  Beatrice  Elizabeth  Proudlock,  daughter  of  Alarmaduke  Proud- 
lock,  of  Beresford  House,  Marten,  Yorkshire,  where  the  family  is  one 
of  prominence  and  distinction.  Mr.  and  Airs.  Lathrop  have  two  chil- 
dren :     Beatrice  Anne  Gillett  Lathrop,  and  Mary  Woodward  Lathrop. 

A-Iicii.xEr,  C.  CoYLE.  Division  superintendent  of  the  Alichigan  Cen- 
tral Railroad  and  superintendent  of  the  Detroit  &  Charlevoi.x  Railroad 
at  Bay  City,  Air.  Coyle  has  been  in  railway  service  since  he  was  thirteen 


1794  IIISTURV  Ui'   MICHIGAN 

years  old,  has  a  splendid  record  of  advancement  from  a  position  in  the 
ranks,  and  belongs  to  a  family  of  railroad  men,  his  brothers  occupying 
high  positions  in  transportation  circles. 

Michael  Charles  Coyle  was  born  Marcli  24,  1853,  at  Angelica,  New 
York-,  a  son  of  Bernard  and  Susan  (Kilduti)  Coyle,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  New  York  City.  The  father,  who  moved  to  Angelica  in  1831, 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  merchants  of  that  town,  and  continued  in  busi- 
ness in  Alleghany  county  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1887,  when 
sixty-nine  years  old.  His  wife  died  in  1867,  and  both  were  laid  to  rest 
in  Scio,  Alleghany  county.  The  elder  Coyle  was  prominent  in  county 
politics,  and  "for  many  years  was  identified  with  the  militia  organiza- 
tion. Until  fifteen  years  before  his  death  he  was  a  Democrat,  and 
thereafter  equally  strong  as  a  worker  in  the  Republican  interests.  There 
were  eleven  children,  and  six  are  deceased.  Those  living  are  mentioned 
as  follows:  Philip  Coyle,  who  was  prominent  in  railway  service  until 
1907,  and  has  since  been  traffic  manager  of  the  St.  Louis  Business  Men's 
Association  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri ;  Michael  C,  who  is  the  second  in 
age  of  those  still  living;  Hugh  Coyle,  superintendent  of  the  Grand 
Trunk  Railway,  with  residence  at  Belleville,  Ontario:  Bernard  Coyle,  who 
is  general  freight  agent  of  the  Wabash  Railroad  at  St.  Louis ;  Margaret, 
wife  of  lohn  Ragen  of  Corry.  Pennsylvania;  Susan,  wife  of  James 
Keogh,  of  Rochester,  New  York. 

Michael  C.  Coyle  grew  up  in  Allegheny  county,  New  York,  attended 
the  public  schools'  at  Scio,  and  when  thirteen  years  old  became  a  mes- 
senger for  the  New  York  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad.  During  his  spare 
moments  he  learnei^  telegraphy,  and  in  a  short  time  was  promoted  to 
the  responsibility  of  a  key.  From  1871  to  1873  he  served  as  train  dis- 
patcher for  the  Wabash,  St.  Louis  c^  Pacific  Railroad,  with  headquarters 
at  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  from  that  time  forward  through  forty  years  his 
promotions  have  come  at  steady  intervals  until  he  is  well  known  among 
the  leading  transportation  managers  in  the  country.  From  1873  to  18S3 
he  was  train  dispatcher  for  the  Canadian  Southern,  located  at  Detroit. 
I'rom  1883  to  1888  he  was  dispatcher  for  the  Michigan  Central  at 
Detroit,  and  from- the  ist  of  April,  1888,  until  September  i,  1894,  was 
chief  train  master  for  that  same  line.  Since  December.  1898,  Mr.  Coyle 
has  been  division  superintendent  of  the  Michigan  Central,  with  head- 
quarters at  Bay  City.  On  September  i,  1910,  the  additional  responsi- 
bility was  given  him  as  superintendent  of  the  Detroit  &  Charlevoix 
Railroad. 

Mr.  Coyle  has  membership  in  the  Masonic  lodge  of  Detroit,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  In  ])olitics  he  is  a  Progressive 
Democrat,  and  has  hosts  of  friends  not  only  in  the  railroad  circles  l)ut 
among  business  men  throughout  the  state  of  Michigan.  He  is  an  en- 
thusiastic trout  fisherman,  and  owns  a  fine  summer  cottage  at  Mullett 
Lake.  His  Bay  City  home  is  at  1701  Sixth  Avenue,  at  the  corner  of 
Hampton  Place. 

On  May  30,  1878,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Coyle  with 
Miss  Georgeana  Wallace,  who  was  born  in  Northumberland  couniw 
England,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Eliza  (Rexby)  Wallace.  To  their 
marriage  have  been  born  four  children :  Bernard  Coyle.  who  is  auditor 
for  the  St.  Louis,  Portland  Company,  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri:  Charles 
Covle,  yardmaster  for  the  Michigan  Central  at  Saginaw ;  Raymond, 
freight  solicitor  for  the  Michigan  Central  at  Bay  City ;  and  Grace  Coyle, 
at  home. 

H()\.  JoTix  Wir.i.TAM  BAii.r.v.  There  is  no  more  interesting  figure 
in  the  puhJic  life  of  Michigan  than  the  ITon.  John  William  Bailey,  mayor 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1795 

of  LSattle  Creek,  a  leading  legal  practitioner  and  a  resourceful  and  hard- 
fighting  Democrat  whose  indomitable  courage,  aptitude  for  organiza- 
tion and  innate  principles  and  character  to  dictate  and  permit  only 
legitimate  and  honorable  courses  of  action  have  given  him  state-wide 
fame  and  on  frequent  occasions  brought  his  name  favorabl)'  forward 
in  connection  with  gubernatorial  honors.  During  all  the  twenty-five 
years  that  he  has  kept  in  touch  with  political  affairs  of  his  native  city, 
but  more  especially  during  the  period  from  1909  to  the  present,  nothing 
of  victory  has  come  easy  to  him  as  it  does  to  many  less  worthy.  A 
member  of  a  party  that  is  in  the  minority  in  his  city,  success  with  him 
has  been  synonymous  with  struggle  at  every  step  of  the  way.  Yet,  even 
among  those  of  opposing  political  beliefs  he  has  won  friends  and  ad- 
mirers, and  the  fact  that  he  has  never  overlooked  his  supporters  in  his 
well-deserved  victories  and  hard-earned  successes  has  enabled  him  to 
encourage  and  retain  his  loyal  and  continually  increasing  following 
through  any  and  all  reverses. 

Mayor  Bailey  is  a  native  of  Battle  Creek  and  has  resided  all  his 
life  in  the  comfortable  home  at  No.  24  College  Street.  His  father, 
Michael  Bailey,  was  born  in  Ireland  and  came  to  the  United  States  as 
a  youth  of  fourteen  years,  settling  in  Battle  Creek,  where  he  met  and 
married  Catherine  McCarthy,  who  had  also  been  born  on  the  Emerald 
isle.  They  commenced  housekeeping  on  their  wedding  day  in  the 
family  home  on  College  Street,  which  Mr.  Bailey  had  just  built  on  two 
lots  purchased  from  Judge  Sands  AlcCamly,  one  of  the  oldest  pioneers 
of  the  city,  who  had  taken  up  the  land  from  the  Government.  For  forty 
years  Michael  Bailey  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Michigan  Central  Rail- 
road, during  the  greater  part  of  which  time  he  was  yardmaster  at  Battle 
Creek.  He  died  in  this  city  August  9,  1889,  while  the  mother  passed 
away  November  24,  1892.  Their  seven  children  are  all  still  alive,  as 
follows :  Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of  Peter  McLee,  of  Battle  Creek ;  John 
William,  of  this  review ;  Julia,  who  is  a  teacher  of  mathematics  and  Eng- 
lish in  the  Battle  Creek  high  school ;  George  F.,  of  Battle  Creek ;  Helen 
B.,  who  is  the  widow  of  the  late  Edward  L.  Murphy,  of  Marshall,  Michi- 
gan, and  the  mother  of  four  daughters :  Catherine,  who  was  principal 
of  the  Maple  Street  school  in  Battle  Creek  for  several  years  and  foi 
three  years  principal  of  the  United  States  Government  schools  at  Ancon, 
Empire  and  Gorgona,  Panama,  Canal  Zone,  and  who  now  teaches  at 
Boise,  Idaho ;  and  Anne,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  Ann 
Arbor,  who  also  taught  in  the  high  schools  of  Battle  Creek,  Duluth. 
Minnesota,  and  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  is  now  a  teacher  in  the  Central  high 
school,  of  Detroit,  Michigan.  All  the  children  graduated  from  the  Battle 
Creek  high  school. 

The  youngest  member  and  valedictorian  of  the  class  of  1876,  of  the 
Battle  Creek  public  schools,  John  W.  Bailey  early  displayed  his  willing- 
ness to  take  his  place  among  the  world's  workers  in  a  humble  capacity 
and  to  work  his  own  way  upward  through  individual  effort.  He  was 
offered  and  accepted  a  position  with  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad, 
where  his  duties  consisted  of  drawing  wood  with  one  horse  and  piling 
it  on  a  stand  for  use  in  the  old  wood-burning  engines  of  that  day.  Later 
his  fidelity,  energy  and  cheerful  performance  of  duty  won  him  promotion 
to  a  position  in  the  warehouse  of  the  company,  and  he  subsef|uently  rose 
to  the  position  of  foreman  thereof.  From  that  time  his  consecuti\e 
promotions  carried  him  through  the  positions  of  baggageman,  ticket- 
seller,  cashier  and  chief  clerk,  and  in  1883  he  was  appointed  freight  and 
ticket  agent  of  the  Battle  Creek  station,  a  position  of  some  importance 
which  he  held  until  his  appointment  in  1896  to  the  oiifice  of  commercial 
agent  of  the  Michigan  Central  lines  at  Toledo,  Ohio,  in  which  capacity 


1796  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

he  had  charge  of  tlie  freight  business  of  the  company  and  its  fast  freight 
lines  at  that  point  as  well  as  the  traffic  from  the  Oliio,  Indiana  and  Illi- 
nois territory  and  all  points  south.  During  all  this  time,  however,  he 
continued  to  maintain  his  residence  in  Battle  Creek. 

A  predilection  for  the  law,  which  he  had  always  fostered,  but  which, 
until  now,  he  had  been  unable  to  gratify,  caused  Mr.  l!ailey  to  leave 
the  railway  service  in  1899  and  enter  the  I'niversity  of  ^Michigan,  where 
he  was  graduated  in  1902  from  the  law  depariment  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Laws.  He  at  once  formed  a  partnership  with  George  \V. 
Alechem  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Battle  Creek,  and  this  as.so- 
ciation  continued  until  1905.  since  which  time  Mr.  Bailey  has  practiced 
alone. 

Mayor  Bailey's  connection  with  pulilic  life  began  in  1889,  when  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Battle  Creek  school  board,  and  following 
this  he  was  re-elected  for  two  more  terms  of  three  years  each,  but  re- 
signed during  the  last  one  when  he  went  to  Toledo  in  1S96.  When  he 
was  first  elected  mayor  of  the  city,  in  1890,  he  was  the  youngest  chief 
executive  the  city  has  had  before  or  since  that  time,  and'  on  that  occa- 
sion served  one  term.  On  his  return  to  Battle  Creek,  after  graduating 
with  honor  from  the  University  of  Michigan,  a  full-fledged  corporation 
lawyer,  he  had  decided  to  set  aside  politics  for  all  time.  He  was  unable, 
however,  to  withstand  the  continued  and  strenuous  importunities  of  his 
own,  the  Democratic  party,  and  his  friends  in  the  Republican  party, 
and  finally,  in  1909.  allowed  himself  to  become  the  nominee  of  the 
Democratic  party  for  the  office  of  mayor.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that 
Battle  Creek  is  overwhelmingly  Republican,  after  one  of  the  most  hotly- 
contested  campaigns  the  city  has  known,  he  was  again  sent  to  the 
mayoralty  chair. 

Here  a  peculiar  condition  of  things  was  found  to  exist.  The  council 
was  wholly  Republican  and  frankly  antagonistic,  and  it  was  predicted 
alike  by  friend  and  foe  that  the  new  mayor  could  be  but  a  figure-head 
in  the  management  of  the  municipality.  ]iIayor  Bailey,  however,  while 
inheriting  the  usual  Irish  sympathy,  responsiveness,  humor  and  imagina- 
tion, also  possessed  the  qualities  of  alertness  and  courage  for  which 
that  race  is  noted,  and  was  not  long  in  asserting  himself.  "Having  Ijeen 
elected  mayor,"  he  stated,  "l  intend  to  be  mayor,"  and  forthwith  went 
about  to  prove  it.  From  that  moment  forward,  until  the  mayor  had  the 
reins  of  government  well  in  hand,  proceedings  in  municipal  affairs  were  ' 
of  a  distinctly  stormy  character  and  attracted  widespread  interest  all 
over  the  state.  At  that  time  the  mayor  whose  term  had  not  yet  expired, 
Charles  C.  Green,  a  Republican,  was  in  South  America,  and  Alderman 
L.  G.  Nichols,  president  of  the  council,  was  acting  mayor.  Custom  dic- 
tated that  such  a  condition  maintain  for  two  weeks  before  Mr.  Bailey 
should  appear  in  the  crowded  council  chamber  and.  in  the  midst  of  a 
great  celebration,  assume  the  mayoralty.  Mayor  Bailey's  eagerness  to 
be  doing  something,  however,  was  shown  in  his  precipitating  himself 
into  the  mayor's  office  before  the  first  meeting  of  the  council,  and  his 
act  of  forcing  a  Republican,  City  Recorder  Thorne,  to  swear  him  into 
office,  was  eminently  characteristic  of  the  man.  The  Republican  alder- 
men, taken  thoroughly  by  surprise  and  at  a  loss  for  a  course  to  take, 
were  compelled  to  allow  iheniselves  to  be  sworn  in  in  the  same  manner, 
one  by  one,  and  the  annual  inaugural  show  was  canceled. 

In  his  determination  to  gather  about  him  strong,  reliable  and  prac- 
tical men  to  assist  him  in  advancing  the  efficiencv  of  the  city  service. 
Mayor  Bailey  appointed  Dr.  Eugene  Miller,  a  Democrat,  to  the  office 
of  health  officer,  but  the  latter  was  immediately  rejected  bv  the  Repub- 
lican council,  and  Mr.  Bailey  subsequently  named  Dr.  A.  S.  Kimball,  a 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1797 

Republican,  who  at  that  time  was  in  Europe,  studying  medicine.  Doctor 
Kimball  was  accepted  by  the  aldermen,  and  the  chief  executive  imme- 
diately named  Doctor  ]\liller  as  "temporary"  health  officer,  thus  gaining 
his  first  point.  His  next  appointment  was  Elza  Shoup  for  street  com- 
missioner, but  this  Democrat  was  also  rejected  by  the  council,  the  alder- 
men advising  that  Charles  Caldwell,  chairman  of  the  Republican  city 
committee,  be  retained  in  that  office.  This  Mr.  Caldwell  did  until  he 
found  that  without  the  mayor's  signature  he  could  not  collect  his  salary, 
nor  the  wages  for  the  men  he  hired,  and  when  the  mayor  preferred 
charges  of  graft  against  him  and  started  to  prove  them,  Mr.  Caldwell 
resigned  under  fire.  The  mayor  at  once  appointed  Mr.  Shoup  to  fill 
the  vacancy,  an  appointment  which  did  not  require  the  council's  con- 
firmation. 

Further  complications  were  not  long  in  coming.  In  the  election  of 
Mayor  Bailey  a  Republican  alderman,  F.  H.  Starkey,  had  played  a 
leading  part.  Air.  Starkey  had  desired  the  Republican  nomination  for 
the  mayoralty  and  had  been  defeated  by  Mr.  Jacobs,  who  at  the  election 
was  in  turn  beaten  by  Mr.  Bailey.  For  some  time  ^^Ir.  Starkey  was  the 
new  mayor's  only  support,  but  subsequently,  when  he  tried  to  dictate 
to  Mr.  Bailey,  their  friendship  was  broken  and  !Mr.  Starkey  assumed 
the  position  of  "opposition  leader."  Numerous  encounters  ensued,  and 
eventually  one  evening  in  the  council  chamber,  when  Mr.  Starkey  be- 
came particularly  pugnacious,  the  mayor  ordered  his  removal.  Police 
Captain  McCarthy  obeyed  the  order,  and  when  Air.  Starkey  again  en- 
tered the  council  room  he  was  cowed  to  some  extent,  but  once  again 
became  ofifensive  in  remarks  and  manner,  and  the  mayor  instructed 
Chief  of  Police  Farrington,  a  Republican,  to  eject  the  alderman.  On 
the  chief's  refusal  to  obey  instructions  lie  was  at  once  suspended  for 
ten  days,  whereupon  the  police  commissioners,  whose  co-operation  the 
mayor  had  not  bothered  to  enlist,  became  angry  and  began  to  make 
threats,  none  of  which  materialized,  however.  Chief  Farrington  re- 
mained suspended  for  ten  days,  and  upon  his  return  assured  the  mayor 
that  in  the  future  his  orders  would  be  promptly  obeyed.  Mr.  Starkey 
started  proceedings  for  Sio.ooo  damages  against  the  mayor  and  Captain 
McCarthy,  but  the  suit  was  ridiculed  by  the  general  public  and  was 
finally  dismissed. 

Some  of  the  most  bitter  opposition  to  Air.  Bailey,  both  during  his 
campaign  and  after  his  election,  came  from  the  Battle  Creek  Journal, 
hut  the  mayor  capably  replied  to  its  attacks  in  his  message  to  the  council 
and  forced  the  newspaper  to  print  his  replies  under  its  contract  to  print 
the  council  proceedings.  As  a  result  of  Mr.  Bailey's  attack  upon  the 
Journal,  in  his  message,  that  paper  at  one  time  had  libel  suits  against 
him  aggregating  $100,000,  all  of  which  were  gladly  dismissed  when  the 
mayor  declared  he  would  prove  the  truth  of  his  statements. 

Throughout  his  administration  the  mayor  was  forced  to  meet  and 
overcome  attacks  and  opposition  in  every  form,  but  in  every  instance 
proved  himself  equal  to  the  occasion.  He  did  not  dare  to  leave  the  city 
for  fear  a  council  meeting  would  be  held  without  him,  and  for  this 
reason  was  unable  to  accept  invitations  to  banquets  outside  of  the  city, 
including  one  held  at  Detroit  by  the  Democrats  of  Wayne  county,  in 
which  he  was  to  share  the  platform  with  ex-Governor  Folk  and  other 
notables  of  the  party.  From  the  first  to  the  last,  however,  he  carried 
out  the  promises  made  by  him,  and  his  record  in  office  is  one  worthy 
of  the  man  and  his  nature.  Among  his  achievements  may  be  men- 
tioned the  liquidation  of  $65,000  overdraft  and  overdrawn  accounts ; 
the  raising  of  the  wages  of  all  men  and  teams :  the  building  of  more 
'  sidewalks ;  the  putting  in  of  more  pavements,  the  building  of  more  sewers 


1798  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

and  the  laying  of  more  water  pipe  tlian  in  any  previous  two  years  in  the 
history  of  the  city.  The  tax  rate  was  not  increased,  yet  in  spite  of  this 
at  the  end  of  two  years  there  was  in  the;  city  treasury  $87,000  cash,  a 
larg-er  sum  than  the  combined  total  amount  left  by  outgoing  mayors 
during  the  previous  twenty  years.  Such  a  record  speaks  for  itself.  Mr. 
Bailey  thoroughly  impressed  upon  the  people  of  ilattle  Creek  that  he 
was  mayor,  and  his  reputation  spread  so  rajjidly  throughout  the  state 
that  he  would  have  undoubtedly  been  the  choice  of  the  Michigan  Democ- 
racy for  the  governorship  of  the  stata  in  1912  had  he  consented  to  the 
use  of  his  name.  For  business  reasons,  however,  he  has  steadfastly 
declined  to  become  a  candidate  for  that  high  office. 

In  191 1  Mayor  Bailey  was  elected  a  member  of  the  commission  to 
revise  the  charter  of  his  native  city.  The  commission,  at  its  first  meet- 
ing, elected  him  its  chairman,  and  the  charter  was  written  and  adopted 
at  the  spring  election  of  1913.  At  the  same  election  Mr.  Ilailey  was 
again  re-elected  mayor  of  the  city  and  although  liattle  Creek  was  strongly 
Republican  he  only  lacked  nine  votes  of  having  a  majority  over  all 
three  opposing  candidates,  he  having  been  opposed  by  a  straight  Repub- 
lican, a  Progressive  and  a  Socialist.  The  result  of  this  election  showed 
the  mayor's  popularity  to  be  so  great  that  at  the  charter  election,  one 
month  later,  he  had  no  opposition,  and  accordingly  for  the  fourth  time 
became  mayor  of  his  native  city.  Under  Mayor  liailey's  administratitni. 
the  commission  form  of  government  has  been  inaugurated  and  has  been 
successfully  carried  forward  during  the  past  year.  .As  was  freely  pre- 
dicted by  Battle  Creek  citizens,  the  mayor  at  once  became  the  strongest 
and  dominant  figure  in  the  commission,  and  has  continued  to  handle  all 
matters  with  the  care  and  good  judgment  which  have  always  character- 
ized his  each  and  every  service  and  which  so  w'cll  please  the  great  ma- 
joritv  of  the  people  of  the  city  in  which  he  has  spent  his  life. 

Mayor  Bailey  has  always  resided  in  the  family  home  on  College 
Street.  Should  he  so  choose,  he  could  have  a  more  pretentious  dwelling, 
but  it  has  been  his  pleasure  to  live  in  the  same  (|uiet,  unostentatious 
manner  that  characterized  the  lives  of  his  revered  jjarents.  His  ofifices. 
at  Suite  No.  309  Ward  Building,  are  the  finest  in  the  city.  Mayor 
Bailey  is  prominent  in  club  life,  having  been  third  president  of  the 
Athelstan  Club,  an  office  he  held  five  years.  During  his  incumbency 
of  that  ofifice  the  .Athelstan  and  Nepenthe  Clubs  were  consolidated  into 
a  larger  and  stronger  organization.  He  also  holds  membership  in  the 
Country  Club,  and  in  the  line  of  his  calling  is  connected  with  the  County 
and  State  Bar  Associations.  His  career  in  every  respect  has  been  one 
of  noteworthv  accomplishment,  and  as  he  is  still  in  the  vigor  and  full- 
ness of  life  he  should  fulfill  his  many  friends'  predictions  that  he  will 
go  much  further  and  higher. 

Mavor  Bailey  was  married  July  14,  1910.  to  Miss  Billian  May  Cobb, 
whii.  like  her  husband  has  spent  her  whole  life  in  Battle  Creek,  where 
she  is  widely  known,  a  daughter  of  M.  W.  and  Fva  May  Cobb.  On 
June  6,  1912,  was  born  an  eight-pound  son,  John  William.  Jr.,  a  strong 
healthy  lad,  whose  career,  if  he  follows  the  wishes  of  his  jjarents,  will 
be  spent  in  the  legal  profession.  On  March  5,  1914.  the  mayor  and 
Mrs.  Bailey  were  blessed  with  another  eight-pound  boy,  William  Van 
Antwerp,  who,  his  proud  parents  insist,  is  the  e(|ual  of  John  in  every 
particular,  and  with  whom,  they  predict,  will  form  a  pair  hard  to  beat 
when  thcv  stand  together  in  future  years. 

Hox.  C.\ssius  L.  CiL.Nsr.ow.  The  name  of  Cassius  L.  Glasgow  has 
been  associated  with  the  business  and  official  interests  of  Michigan  for 
more  than   thirtv  vears,  and   during  this   time  his  achievements   in   the 


HISTORY   OF  MICHIGAN  1799 

commercial  world  and  the  important  positions  of  trust  which  he  has 
tilled  have  been  such  as  to  place  him  among  the  front  rank  of  those  who 
have  succeeded  in  establishing  and  maintaining  a  high  standard  of  busi- 
ness ethics. 

Mr.  Glasgow  was  born  on  his  father's  farm  in  Allen  township,  near 
Jonesville,  Hillsdale  county,  Michigan,  February  i6,  1859,  and  is  a  son 
of  William  and  Eliza  (Glasgow)  Glasgow,  natives  respectively  of  Scot- 
land and  Ireland.  The  two  families,  although  bearing  the  same  name, 
were  not  related.  The  parents  came  to  America  about  the  same  time, 
and  were  here  married.  The  two  years  following  his  arrival  in  the  United 
States  were  passed  by  the  father  in  a  large  packing  house  in  New  York 
City,  and  succeeding  this  he  was  for  two  years  general  manager  of  a 
farm  operated  by  a  contractor  in  connection  with  the  state  prison,  at 
Albany.  He  came  to  Michigan  and  settled  in  Hillsdale  county  at  a  time 
when  that  part  of  the  state  was  still  undeveloped,  and,  there  being  no 
railroads  this  side  of  Toledo,  he  walked  through  from  the  Ohio  city  to 
his  new  home.  Here  for  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Glasgow  was  engaged 
in  farming,  and  through  a  life  of  industry  and  energetic  efifort  succeeded 
in  the  accumulation  of  a  valuable  farm  in  Allen  township,  upon  which 
both  he  and  his  wife  passed  the  remaining  years  of  their  lives. 

Cassius  L.  Glasgow  was  given  good  educational  advantages  in  his 
youth,  attending  the  district  schools  of  Allen  township,  the  Jonesville 
Union  school  and  Hillsdale  College,  and  remained  on  the  home  farm  until 
embarking  upon  a  career  of  his  own  as  a  clerk  in  a  hardware  store  at 
Jonesville.  Like  many  young  men  of  his  day,  he  was  seized  with  a  desire 
to  view  the  western  country,  and  after  traveling  to  various  points  located 
at  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  where  he  entered  a  wholesale  hardware  store  as 
assistant  bookkeeper  and  billing  clerk.  One  year  later  the  serious  illness 
of  his  mother  caused  him  to  return  to  his  home,  and  being  the  youngest 
and  only  unmarried  member  of  the  family  he  was  prevailed  upon  to  re- 
main in'  Michigan.  Mr.  Glasgow  came  to  Nashville  in  1881,  and  here 
purchased  the  hardware  business  of  C.  C.  Wolcott,  to  the  operation  of 
which  he  has  since  devoted  a  large  part  of  his  attention,  building  up  one 
of  the  leading  enterprises  of  its  kind  in  this  part  of  the  state.  A  furni- 
ture business  was  added  to  this  venture  in  1896,  which  has  also  proven  a 
decided  success,  and  the  concern  now  handles  a  full  line  of  hardware, 
furniture  and  farming  implements.  A  man  of  the  strictest  integrity,  Mr. 
Glasgow  has  established  an  enviable  reputation  for  honorable  and 
straightforward  dealing,  which  has  caused  him  to  be  held  in  high  favor 
by  his  fellow-business  men  in  all  parts  of  the  state.  Some  years  ago,  the 
implement  dealers  of  Michigan  formed  as  an  association,  but  the  affairs 
of  this  organization  were  poorly  handled,  and  two  or  three  years  later  it 
was  dissolved.  About  1904  a  new  association  was  formed  at  Lansing, 
and  at  its  inception  Mr.  Glasgow  was  honored  by  election  to  the  presi- 
dency, being  re-elected  to  that  office  for  two  successive  terms  thereafter 
and  serving  in  the  directing  capacity  for  three  years.  He  has  been  a 
director  ever  since,  and  during  all  this  time  has  served  as  chairman  of 
the  legislative  committee.  Various  other  honors  have  come  to  him  be- 
cause of  his  known  honesty  and  administrative  and  executive  jiowers. 
In  1908  he  was  elected  president  of  the  National  Federation  of  Retail 
Implement  and  Vehicle  Dealers,  and  was  re-elected  for  a  second  term, 
the  first  time  in  the  history  of  this  "Supreme  Court"  of  all  the  state  or- 
ganizations, although  the  policy  has  since  been  followed.  The  National 
Federation  does  effective  work  in  the  settlement  of  disputes  between  deal- 
ers and  manufacturers,  as  to  prices,  terms,  discounts,  territory  and  war- 
ranties, and  although  it  does  not  attempt  to  regulate  prices,  demands  that 
they  be  uniform  to  all  dealers.     It  was  this  organization  which  insisted 


1H£  NiW  HORK 
till  HI  \n  T  T  iil»  I  »  V 


ISOO  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

that  carriage  manufacturers  sliould  not  discontinue  warranties  on  wagons 
and  other  vehicles,  although  the  National  Association  of  Vehicle  Manu- 
facturers had  so  decided. 

Reared  in  a  Republican  atmosphere,  Mr.  Glasgow  has  always  been  an 
enthusiastic  and  active  worker  in  the  ranks  of  his  party.  His  disinterest- 
edness is  known  to  all  political  workers,  and  he  has  never  been  a  seeker 
for  personal  preferment.  He  twice  served  as  president  of  his  village, 
once  by  appointment  and  once  by  election,  without  an  opposing  candidate, 
and  at  the  senatorial  convention,  held  in  the  fall  of  1902,  he  was  unani- 
mously chosen  by  the  delegates  as  candidate  for  the  office  of  senator  of 
the  Fifteenth  Senatorial  District,  comprising  the  counties  of  Barry  and 
Eaton.  On  the  floor  and  in  the  conuuittee  rooms,  his  record  was  such 
that  he  was  unanimously  nominated  two  years  later  to  succeed  himself 
for  a  second  term.  There  his  high  abilities,  both  as  a  statesman  and  an 
orator  won  him  the  presidency  of  the  senate,  an  office  in  which  he  won 
the  approbation  of  every  member  of  that  distinguished  body.  The  fol- 
lowing is  taken  from  the  Michigan  Tradesman,  of  June  3.  IQ14:  "Prior 
to  1907  the  office  of  State  Railway  Commissioner  had  always  been  held 
bv  a  man  who  was  sim[)lv  a  creature  of  the  railroads,  which  contributed 
a  fixed  sum  to  the  campaign  expenses  of  a  candidate  for  Governor  with 
the  distinct  understanding  that  they  would  be  permitted  to  name  the 
Railway  Commissioner.  The  first  time  Governor  Warner  was  a  candi- 
date, he  submitted  to  this  dictation ;  but  in  his  second  campaign  he  broke 
awav  from  this  long-established  custom  and  kept  himself  free  from  the 
domination  of  the  railroads.  For  some  years  prior  to  this  time  the 
business  men  of  the  State  had  gradually  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
public  had  rights  which  should  be  considered  as  well  as  the  railways. 
This  agitation  found  expression  in  a  popular  campaign  in  behalf  of  the 
appointment  of  Mr.  Glasgow,  who  was  universally  conceded  to  be  the 
best  qualified  man  in  Michigan  to  deal  with  both  sides  at  issue  fairly 
and  dispassionately.  ]\Ir.  Glasgow  was  appointed  by  Governor  Warner 
January  15,  1907,  and  soon  came  to  be  regarded  as  an  acknowledged 
authority  on  transportation  matters.  When  Governor  Osborn  was  elected 
he  paid  him  the  highest  possible  compliment  he  could  confer  by  sending 
for  him  and  saying:  'The  courts  have  stated  that  interim  appointments 
must  be  confirmed  and  I  want  you  to  know  that  you  are  the  only  interim 
appointment  of  my  predecessor  that  I  desire  shall  remain  and  to  that  end 
I  am  going  to  appoint  you  to  your  position  and  make  sure  of  it.'  He 
has,  therefore,  during  his  term  been  appointed  three  times  and  by  two 
Governors,  whether  necessary  or  not.  He  assisted  in  drafting  the  bill 
creating  the  Railroad  Commission  some  time  later.  He  was  chairman  of 
the  Commission  during  the  six  years  following  and  during  the  entire  time 
the  work  of  the  Commission  was  getting  started  and  while  the  Legislature 
from  session  to  session  added  to  the  work  of  the  Commission,  by  giving  it 
jurisdiction  over  express,  water  power,  electric  light,  telephone  companies 
and  over  the  issuance  of  stocks  and  bonds.  The  election  of  our  present 
Governor  made  the  Commission,  by  the  appointment  of  new  members, 
Democratic,  when  he  resigned  the  chairmanship  in  favor  of  Mr.  Hemans. 
Mr.  Glasgow  was  urged  to  enter  the  Congressional  race  in  his  district 
two  vears  ago,  and  again  this  year,  but  refused  to  permit  his  name  to  be 
used  cither  time.  The  pressure  may  ultimately  become  so  strong  that  he 
will  have  to  yield.  If  he  ever  does,  his  friends  will  see  to  it  that  he  is 
safely  elected  and  all  who  know  him  are  satisfied  that  he  will  make  his 
mark  in  Congress." 

Air.  Glasgow  was  married  in  1S82,  at  Jonesville,  to  Aliss  Matie  C. 
Miller,  who  was  born  in  Jersey  City,  New  Jersey,  and  came  to  jMichigan 
with  her  parents,  her  father  dying  here,  while  her  mother  still  survives. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1801 

Mr.  Glasgow  is  a  popular  member  of  the  local  lodges  of  the  ^Masons, 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  Maccabees,  and  has  friends  in  every  walk  of  life. 

Hon.  Abraham  T.  Metcalf,  D.  D.  S.,  was  born  February  26,  183 1, 
in  W'hitestown,  New  York,  and  is  a  representative  of  a  family  that 
has  been  conspicuous  in  New  England  history  from  an  early  period 
in  the  seventeenth  century.  His  ancestors  were  English  dissenters 
who  sought  a  home  and  religious  liberty  in  the  New  World.  The 
early  education  of  Dr.  Alctcalf  was  acquired  in  an  academy  in  his 
native  town,  after  which  he  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  as  a  worker 
in  slieet  metal.  He  came  with  his  father's  family  to  Battle  Creek, 
Michigan,  in  1848,  but  remained  only  a  few  months  and  then  returned 
to  New  York  in  order  that  he  might  take  up  the  study  of  dentistry 
in  Utica.  After  his  preparation  for  the  profession  he  began  prac- 
tice, in  which  he  was  very  successful,  and  continued  in  the  east  until 
1854,  when  he  visited  his  father  in  Battle  Creek.  At  the  solici- 
tation of  Governor  Ransom,  who  desired  his  professional  counsel,  he 
went  to  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  where  he  took  up  his  abode  in  1855.  His 
patronage  almost  immediately  reached  extensive  as  well  as  profitable 
proportions,  but  close  application  to  business  and  the  climate  proved 
detrimental  to  his  health,  and  he  was  obliged  to  seek  rest  and  recupera- 
tion. In  1S57  he  went  south  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  rapidly  recov- 
ered, and  then  formed  a  partnership  with  D.  A.  P.  Dostie,  a  dentist  of 
that  city.  After  Gen.  Butler  entered  that  city,  Dr.  Dostie  was  made 
collector  of  the  port,  and  he  was  afterwards  made  a  member  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention,  for  his  acts  in  which  body  he  was  shot  down 
and  killed  on  the  streets  of  New  Orleans.  Dr.  Metcalf  spent  the  sum- 
mer months  in  Kalamazoo,  but  the  winter  seasons  were  spent  in  the 
south,  where  he  continued  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war. 

Dr.  JMetcalf  was  a  close  and  earnest  student  of  the  problems  which 
aroused  the  interest  of  the  country  prior  to  the  war,  and  his  sympathy 
was  with  the  Union  cause,  not  hesitating  to  express  his  ideas  as  to  the 
questions  at  stake.  In  the  spring  of  1861,  soon  after  Louisiana  had 
passed  the  ordinance  of  secession,  the  Doctor  was  imprisoned  for  treason 
against  the  state,  and  this  was  the  first  arrest  made  upon  this  charge  in 
New  Orleans.  The  affidavit  solemnly  stated  that  the  good  doctor  had  "ut- 
tered seditious  language  against  the  government,  saying  that,  if  he  were 
in  Lincoln's  place,  before  a  single  state  should  be  allowed  to  go  out  of 
the  Union,  he  would  burn  the  city  of  Charleston  to  the  ground  and 
drown  the  city  of  New  Orleans  with  the  water  of  the  Mississippi  river; 
and  other  incendary  language."  He  was  released  from  prison  on  the 
authority  of  the  attorney  general  of  the  state. 

In  his  professional  career  Dr.  Metcalf  attained  distinguished  honor 
and  success.  He  was  instrumental  in  organizing  the  ^Michigan  State 
Dental  Association  in  1855,  and  was  the  first  secretary  of  that  body 
and  several  times  the  president  and  later  the  historian.  He  secured 
from  the  Legislature  the  first  appropriation  for  the  dental  department 
for  the  University  of  Michigan,  a  college  that  stands  second  to  no  dental 
college  in  the  world.  He  was  also  mainly  instrumental  in  securing  the 
passage  of  the  law  creating  a  State  Board  of  Examiners  in  dentistry  and 
was  the  first  president  of  the  board  and  a  member  thereof  for  several 
years.  Fie  invented  the  dental  engine  and  the  first  device  of  this  kind 
ever  made  he  placed  on  the  market.  He  also  invented  the  dentists'  an- 
nealing lamp,  which  was  invaluable  to  the  profession  previous  to  the 
introduction  of  adhesive  gold  foil.  He  was  also  the  first  to  introduce 
.the  preparation  for  filling  teeth  known  as  sponge  gold,  and  with  his 
brother  invented  the  tinman's  pattern  sheet  which   is  an   indispensable 


1802  HISTORY  (3F  MICHIGAN 

guide  to  workers  in  sheet  metal.  In  1S72  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Dental 
Surgery  was  conferred  upon  him  by  the  \e\v  Orleans  Dental  College, 
and  thus  in  the  city  in  which  he  had  once  suffered  imprisonment  because 
of  his  loyalty  to  honest  convictions,  he  was  later  honored  by  a  leading 
collegiate  institution.  At  the  time  of  his  removal  to  Rattle  Creek,  in 
iSijo,  he  retired  from  active  jjractice  and  has  since  given  his  attention 
to  real  estate  interests  and  to  the  management  of  several  valuable  estates. 
He  has  done  considerable  building  and  contributed  largely  to  the  devel- 
opment and  improvement  of  liattle  Creek. 

On  June  25,  1857,  Dr.  Metcalf  was  married  to  -Miss  Helen  E.  Xoble, 
daughter  of  Hon.  Alonzo  Xoble,  one  of  the  prominent  pioneer  settlers 
of  this  city.  She  was  born  in  Milton  township,  \'ermont,  March  27, 
1834,  and  was  brought  by  her  parents  to  I'attle  Creek,  }ilichigan,  in 
1836,  and  here  she  acquired  her  early  education,  which  was  supple- 
mented by  a  course  of  study  in  the  Ladies'  Seminary,  of  Rochester, 
Xew  York.  Following  her  father's  death,  she  and  her  husband  came 
to  Battle  Creek  to  care  for  her  mother.  They  had  but  one  child.  Alonzo 
T.  Metcalf,  who  was  a  very  bright  boy,  but  died  suddenly  of  rheumatic 
fever  when  but  fourteen  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Metcalf,  because  of  her 
culture,  refinement  and  kindly  spirit,  became  a  leader  in  social  and 
church  circles  of  Battle  Creek.  She  was  very  prominent  in  the  society 
of  St.  Thomas'  Episcopal  church,  and  her  life  was  largely  tilletl  with 
generous  deeds,  it  being  noticeable  that  she  rarely,  if  ever,  spoke  ill  of 
others,  always  putting  a  most  charitable  construction  on  the  motives 
of  those  with  whom  she  associated.  She  died  in  Los  Angeles,  California, 
Februarv  2C1.  1898,  and  her  remains  were  brought  to  Battle  Creek  for 
burial.  As  a  tribute  to  her  worth  and  beautiful  womanly  character, 
the  various  municipal  offices  of  the  city  were  closed  on  the  day  of  her 
funeral  from  two  until  five  o'clock. 

Dr.  Metcalf  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Thomas'  Episcopal  church,  al- 
though for  a  numl)er  of  years  he  was  a  vestryman  of  St.  John's  church, 
of  Kalamazoo,  and  after  his  removal  to  this  city  continued  as  vestry- 
man here,  and  is  now  senior  warden  emeritus  of  St.  Thomas'  church. 

In  Masonic  circles,  Dr.  Metcalf  is  recognized  as  a  leader  throughout 
^Michigan,  and  is  the  highest  Mason  in  the  United  States  at  this  time 
and  has  been  since  the  death  of  Gen.  Samuel  C.  Lawrence,  of  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  who  died  during  191 1.  Dr.  Metcalf,  who  is  now  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Supreme  Council  for  the  Northern  Jurisdiction,  was  made  a 
Master  Mason,  November  26,  1856,  in  Kalamazoo  Lodge  No.  22,  F.  (Jt 
A.  M.,  and  quickly  advanced  in  the  organization  until  1861  he  was 
made  worshipful  master.  He  was  re-elected  in  1862,  in  1863  and  again 
in  1869,  and  in  1887  was  demitted  with  others  from  Kalamazoo  Lodge 
for  the  purpose  of  reviving  Anchor  Lodge  of  Strict  Observance  No.  87, 
and  in  February.  1888,  was  made  the  first  worshipful  master  under  the 
restored  charter.  Soon  after  his  removal  to  Battle  Creek,  a  new  lodge 
was  formed  and  named  in  his  honor,  A.  T.  Metcalf  Lodge,  No.  419. 
of  which  lodge  he  became  the  first  worshipful  master.  He  was  chosen 
junior  grand  warden  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Michigan,  in  January,  i8fi2, 
and  re-elected  in  1863,  and  was  elected  right  worthy  grand  warden  in 
1864-65.  He  was  elected  deputy  grand  master  in  1865,  1867  and  in 
1868,  and  became  grand  master  in  1869  and  re-elected  in  1870.  He  suc- 
ceeded to  this  office  at  a  critical  period  in  the  history  of  the  Michigan 
Grand  Lodge.  The  many  strong  and  determined  acts  whicji  he  performed 
during  his  first  year  to  correct  the  loose  habits  into  which  some  of  the 
lodges  of  the  state  had  fallen,  aroused  marked  antagonism  on  the  one 
hand  and  remarkable  appreciation  on  the  other,  and  his  position  and 
attitude  were  sustained  hv   the  Grand  Lodge  in   the   face  of  all  eft'orts 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1803 

to  tlie  contrary.  In  Capitular  Masonry,  he  held  several  offices,  having 
been  elected  high  priest  of  Kalamazoo  Chapter  in  i86i  and  again  in 
1868.  His  identification  with  Chivalric  Masonry  began  in  i860,  when 
he  was  made  a  Knight  Templar  in  Peninsular  Commandery  No.  8,  Kala- 
mazoo. He  served  as  eminent  commander  in  1S68,  1869  and  1882,  and 
in  1892  was  demitted  to  Battle  Creek  Commandery,  No.  32,  K.  T.,  and 
was  elected  commander  of  the  latter  about  the  same  year.  He  is  an 
officer  of  Zabud  Council,  R.  &  S.  M.,  of  Battle  Creek,  and  has  been  an 
active  representative  of  the  Scottish  Rite  for  many  years.  In  1866  he 
was  elected  commander  in  chief  of  DeWitt  Clinton  Consistory,  and  was 
re-elected  each  succeeding  year  up  to  and  including  1870.  He  is  now 
and  has  been  for  a  number  of  years  an  active  member  of  Supreme  Coun- 
cil of  Sovereign  Grand  Inspectors  General  for  the  Northern  Masonic 
jurisdiction  of  the  United  States,  and  for  si.x  years  was  district  deputy 
for  Michigan.  He  has  attained  an  honor  accorded  few  representatives 
of  the  craft,  that  of  being  a  thirty-third  degree  Mason. 

In  politics  Dr.  Metcalf  has  held  prominent  positions.  As  a  member 
of  the  Democrat  party,  he  was  elected  to  the  board  of  trustees  in  Kala- 
mazoo, and  was  chosen  president  of  that  village  by  popular  suffrage  in 
1897.  He  represented  the  second  district  of  Kalamazoo  county  in  the 
State  Legislature  in  1875-76.  After  his  removal  to  Battle  Creek,  he 
was  elected  mayor  of  the  city  in  1897,  and  many  of  his  friends  in  lx)th 
parties  consider  him  one  of  the  best  mayors  the  city  ever  had,  his 
efforts  being  among  progressive  and  practical  lines,  which  would  prove 
of  the  greatest  good  to  the  greatest  number.  A  clean  and  well  spent 
life  has  left  him  sound  in  body  and  mind  at  the  age  of  eighty- two  years, 
and  much  of  his  good  health  he  attributes  to  out-of-door  exercise,  even 
the  coldest  days  of  winter  finding  him  taking  his  long  walks.  His  is  a 
familiar  figure  on  the  streets  of  Battle  Creek,  where  he  is  accorded  the 
respect  and  esteem  due  those  whose  activities  have  served  to  advance 
their  community's  interests,  and  he  is  universally  regarded  as  one  of 
Battle  Creek's  foremost  citizens. 

\ViLLi.\M  T-  Smith.  It  would  he  difficult  to  find,  even  were  a  search 
to  be  made  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  Southern  Micliigan, 
an  individual  whose  personality  has  been  more  strongly  impressed  upon 
the  financial  and  political  interests  of  this  section  than  has  that  of  Wil- 
liam J.  Smith,  vice  president  of  the  Old  National  Bank,  of  Battle  Creek. 
A  man  of  firmness,  force  of  character,  indomitable  energy  and  executive 
ability — potent  agencies  for  advancement  of  men  to  important  stations 
in  life — his  management  of  men  and  afifairs  has  won  for  him  a  reputa- 
tion that  extends  far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  state,  while^  his  connection 
with  political  affairs  has  been  such  as  to  win  him  a  position  of  almost 
national  importance  in  the  ranks  of  the  Republican  party.  Mr.  Smith 
is  a  native  of  Michigan,  born  on  his  father's  farm  in  Charleston  town- 
ship, Kalamazoo  county,  October  26,  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Katherine   (Joyce)   Smith. 

The  Smith  family  is  of  German  extraction,  and  was  foinided  in  New 
England  during  the' early  colonization  of  this  country.  From  that  sec- 
tion the  family  moved  to  New  York,  ,where,  in  Genesee  county,  John 
A.  Smith  was  born.  He  came  to  Michigan  in  1857,  locating  in  Kalama- 
zoo county,  where  he  resided  until  1866,  and  in  that  year  made  removal 
to  LeRoy' township,  Calhoun  county,  the  balance  of  his  life  being  syient 
there  and  his  death  occurring  March  29,  1891.  Throughindustry,  well- 
directed  effort  and  straightforward  dealing,  he  arose  alike  to  material 
success  and  to  a  high  place  in  the  confiilence  of  his  fellow-citizens,  who 
frc(;uently  elected  him  to  positions  of  responsibility  and  trust  in  pul)lic 


1804  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

life.  Mr.  Smith  married  Katherine  Joyce,  who  was  also  a  native  of 
Genesee  county,  New  York,  and  a  daughter  of  John  Joyce,  a  soldier  of 
the  War  of  1812,  who  was  of  Scotch-Irish  origin,  the  family  having 
come  to  America  at  an  early  day  in  the  history  of  the  country.  i\Irs. 
Smith  still  survives  her  husband  and  continues  to  make  her  home  on 
the  old  Calhoun  county  farm,  a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  to  which  her  husband  also  belonged. 

William  J.  Smith  was  a  child  of  one  year  when  brought  to  Calhoun 
county,  and  here  he  was  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  to  habits 
of  honesty,  integrity  and  thrift.  The  public  schools  of  West  LeRoy 
furnished  him  with  his  preliminary  educational  training  imtil  he  was 
fifteen  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  enrolled  as  a  student  in  the  ISattle 
Creek  high  school,  and  after  spending  two  years  in  that  institution  en- 
tered Albion  College,  where  he  took  a  course  of  three  years.  Following 
this  he  took  a  course  in  the  Detroit  Business  University,  and,  thus  well 
equipped  for  a  business  career,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  estab- 
lished the  Exchange  Bank,  at  Climax,  Michigan,  a  business  which  he 
conducted  successfully  for  a  period  of  two  years.  At  this  time,  however, 
his  health  failed,  and  he  disposed  of  his  interests  and  spent  several 
months  in  recuperating  in  the  South,  but  in  the  fall  of  1890  returned 
to  the  North  and  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  Farmers'  and  Me- 
chanics' Bank,  of  Smith,  Cole  &  Company,  a  private  banking  institution 
of  Battle  Creek,  of  which  he  acted  as  cashier  until  the  spring  of  1898: 
In  the  meantime  this  enterprise  had  grown  to  be  an  important  factor 
in  the  financial  life  of  Battle  Creek,  carrying  on  a  most  extensive  busi- 
ness and  enjoying  an  unassailable  reputation  for  reliability.  The  close 
confinement  made  necessary  by  his  arduous  duties,  however,  had  once 
more  undermined  Mr.  Smith's  health,  and  he  was  obliged  to  lay  aside 
all  active  business  alTairs  for  a  time.  When  the  Farmers'  and  Mechanics' 
Bank  was  consolidated  with  the  Old  National  Bank  of  Battle  Creek, 
Mr.  Smith  was  made  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors,  and  in  1906 
he  became  vice  president  of  this  institution,  a  position  which  he  has 
held  most  efficiently  to  the  present  time.  Although  not  actively  engaged 
in  outside  operations,  he  has  various  large  manufacturing  interests  both 
here  and  elsewhere,  and  is  the  owner  of  considerable  farming  property, 
but  regardless  of  his  various  interests  he  concentrates  his  energies  on 
the  affairs  of  the  Old  National  Bank. 

For  a  few  years  Mr.  Smith  was  a  supporter  of  Democratic  principles, 
but  in  1896  he  transferred  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party,  and 
since  that  time  has  risen  rapidly  to  an  influential  position  in  its  councils. 
He  has  frec|uently  been  a  delegate  to  conventions,  but  has  never  sought 
personal  preferment,  confining  his  activities  to  the  directing  end  of  po- 
litical life.  His  acquaintance  among  the  leaders  of  the  party  through- 
out the  country  is  extensive  and  confidential  and  during  the  past  eight 
years  he  has  been  a  prominent  figure  in  national  affairs.  He  made  the 
first  canvass  in  ^Michigan  for  ex-President  Taft,  and  during  1912  was 
offered  the  management  of  the  President's  campaign  in  this  state,  but 
owing  to  the  multiplicity  of  his  business  interests  was  forced  to  decline 
that  iionor.  When  the  President  made  his  famous  trip  throughout  the 
country,  it  had  been  originally  planned  that  there  were  to  be  but  three 
stops  in  Michigan,  the  itinerary  inot  including  Battle  Creek,  but  through 
Mr.  Smith's  influence  the  route  was  changed  so  as  to  include  this  city 
Hud  smaller  points  in  Michigan,  the  President  speaking  in  Battle  Creek 
Septeml)er  21,  191 1.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Smith  is  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  the  Modern  W'oodmen  of  America,  and 
his  social  connections  iticlude  memliership  in  the  .Xthelstan  and  Country 
Clubs  and  the  Sigma  Chi  college  fraternity.  With  his  family,  he  attends 
the  Congregational  church. 


ic^tw^        ^V,        lO  a^^WV^^wv  ..vw^ 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1805 

On  November  5,  i8(;o,  Air.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  Lovell,  daughter  of  Hon.  L.  \V.  Lovell,  of  Climax,  Michigan,  and 
to  this  union  there  has  come  one  son,  Wendell  Lovell,  born  November 
16,  1892,  a  graduate  of  the  Battle  Creek  high  school,  class  of  1910,  and 
now  a  member  of  tlie  University  of  Michigan,  class  of  1914,  where  he 
is  completing  a  literary  course.  The  home  of  the  Smith  family,  at  No. 
161  Maple  street,  which  was  erected  by  Mr.  Smith,  is  located  in  one  of 
the  exclusive  residence  districts  of  the  city,  and  is  a  center  of  culture 
and  refinement.  Mrs.  Smith  has  been  active  in  social  and  charitable 
work,  and  is  one  of  the  best  known  members  of  the  Women's  League. 

Probably  there  is  no  man  in  Michigan  who  has  a  wider  acquaintance 
among  bankers  or  men  in  public  affairs  throughout  the  country,  or  who 
is  more  highly  esteemed  by  them,  than  is  Mr.  .Smith.  He  has  been 
distinguished  for  his  faithfulness  and  unselfish  devotion  to  the  interests 
of  the  banking  institution  with  which  he  has  been  connected,  but  this 
is  but  characteristic  of  the  man,  for  fidelity  to  trust  and  conscientious 
discharge  of  every  duty  have  been  part  and  parcel  of  his  nature.  His 
life,  on  the  whole,  has  been  a  happy  and  fortunate  one :  he  has  the  esteem 
of  his  acquaintances  and  the  affection  of  his  friends ;  as  much  honor  has 
been  bestowed  upon  him  as  he  has  been  willing  to  accept.  Without 
being  its  slave,  he  has  been  diligent  in  business,  which  has  prospered 
under  his  hand.     ]Man  can  ask  for  no  more. 

John  W.  Beaumoxt.  During  thirty  years  of  active  practice  as  a 
member  of  the  Detroit  bar  John  W.  Beaumont  has  gained  a  position  re- 
spected for  his  attainments  and  his  many  successes  in  his  profession,  and 
is  now  at  the  head  of  the  well  known  firm  of  Beaumont,  Smith  &  Harris. 

John  W.  Beaumont  was  born  at  Elizabeth,  New  Jersey,  July  20,  1858, 
a  son  of  Wallace  and  Margaret  (Belshaw)  Beaumont.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  New  Jersey  and  Michigan,  in  1882  he  graduated  from 
the  Michigan  Agricultural  College  at  Lansing  with  the  degree  Bachelor 
of  Science,  and  then  prepared  for  the  law  by  study  under  private  pre- 
ceptorship.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Saginaw  in  1884,  and  his 
first  practice  was  in  that  city.  Since  1886  Mr.  Beaumont  has  lived  in 
Detroit  and  followed  a  general  practice  in  the  state  and  the  federal 
courts.  All  his  time  has  been  devoted  to  his  profession.  He  served  as 
judge  advocate  of  the  Michigan  National  Guard  in  1904-06.  As  a  result 
of  his  membership  in  the  Michigan  Naval  Reserve  at  the  time  of  the 
Spanish-American  war,  he  entered  the  regular  service  and  was  detailed 
for  duty  on  the  auxiliary  cruiser  Yosemite.  and  spent  several  months  on 
board  that  vessel  at  Havana,  Santiago,  Porto  Rico,  and  elsewhere  in 
Cuban  waters.  In  January,  1902,  he  shared  in  the  bounty  of  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars  granted  by  congress  to  the  crew  of  the  Yosemite  for  the 
sinking  of  the  Spanish  vessel  Antonio  Lopez  off  the  coast  of  Porto  Rico. 

Mr.  Beaumont  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Bar  Association,  the 
Michigan  State  Bar  Association  and  the  American  Bar  Association,  of 
the  American  Historical  Association,  the  Detroit  Club,  University  Club, 
the  Detroit  Boat  Club,  the  Prismatic  Club,  the  Grosse  Pointe  Riding  and 
Hunting  Club,  the  Green  Bag  Club,  and  also  now  a  member  of  the  board 
of  control  of  Michigan  Agricultural  College,  associations  that  indicate 
his  varied  professional  and  social  activities  and  avocations.  His  marriage 
to  Miss  Alice  Lord  Burrows  was  celebrated  June  21,  1899.  Mrs.  Beau- 
mont is  a  daughter  of  George  L.  Burrows,  of  Saginaw. 

James  Hexrv  AIustard.  Although  he  is  numbered  amongthe  more 
recent  acquisitions  to  the  Battle  Creek  legal  fraternity,  to  which  he  at- 
tached himself  in  1907,  James  Henry  Mustard  is  numbered  among  the 

Vol.  IV— 4 


ISOG  HISTORY  OF  JMICHIGAN 

leading  representatives  of  his  profession  in  the  city,  and  as  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  James  H.  and  John  A.  Mustard  represents  a  concern 
of  recognized  legal  strength  and  is  in  control  of  a  large  and  remunerative 
practice.  In  the  political  affairs  of  his  adopted  county  he  has  also  shown 
himself  possessed  of  unusual  capacity,  an  aptitude  for  organization,  and 
the  ability  to  use  forces  and  men  thus  organized  effectively,  and  at  this 
time  is  chairman  of  the  Republican  city  committee. 

A  native  of  Seaforth,  Ontario,  Canada,  born  Febmary  25,  1880,  Mr. 
Mustard  is  of  Scotch  descent,  his  father.  Donald  Mustard,  being  born 
in  Edinburg,  Scotland,  and  his  mother,  Catherine  (]\IacDonald)  Mustard, 
although  a  native  of  Glengarry,  Ontario,  was  a  daughter  of  Scotch  par- 
ents. The  parents  of  Mr.  Mustard  were  married  at  Seaforth.  Shortly 
after  their  marriage  they  settled  at  Midland,  I\Iichigan,  where  they  have 
for  many  years  been  successfully  engaged  in  farming.  Donald  Mustard 
is  an  influential  Republican  of  his  town  and  county.  Of  the  four 
sons  and  two  daughters,  both  daughters  and  one  of  the  sons  died  in  in- 
fancy :  James  Henry  is  the  eldest ;  John  A.  was  for  seven  years  school 
commissioner  of  Midland  county,  at  the  end  of  that  period  resigning  his 
office  to  come  to  liattle  Creek  and  enter  the  practice  of  law  in  partner- 
ship with  his  brother,  and  Russell  is  a  clerk  in  the  Midland  postoffice. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  of  Midland,  where  he  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  high  school  in  the  class  of  1899,  James  Henry  Mustard 
applied  himself  to  teaching,  a  profession  in  which  he  made  rapid  ad- 
vancement. On  February  24.  igoi,  the  day  before  his  twenty-first  birth- 
day, he  received  the  nomination  for  the  office  of  school  commissioner  of 
Midland  county,  and  in  the  election  which  followed  was  successful  in 
defeating  his  two  rival  candidates.  His  first  two-year  term  in  that  office 
proved  so  satisfactory  to  the  people  of  the  county  that  upon  its  expira- 
tion he  was  again  elected,  the  office  at  that  time  having  changed  its  term 
to  four  years.  Mr.  Mustard  had  always  had  a  leaning  toward  the  law, 
and  during  his  service  as  school  commissioner  he  assiduously  devoted 
himself  to  his  legal  studies  and  every  other  week  spent  at  Ann  Arbor  in 
the  University  of  Michigan,  with  the  result  that  he  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1906  and  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  When  his  term  of 
office  expired  he  came  to  Battle  Creek,  June  3,  1907,  and  first  occupied 
offices  with  D.  C.  Salisbury,  over  the  Old  National  Bank,  although  they 
were  not  in  partnership,  and  September  i,  1909,  removed  to  No.  212 
Ward  Building.  In  1914  was  formed  the  firm  of  James  H.  and  John  A. 
Mustard,  which  occupies  offices  at  No.  604  Post  Building.  Mr.  Mustard 
is  a  valued  and  appreciative  member  of  the  Calhoun  County  Bar  Associa- 
tion, and  stands  high  in  the  regard  of  his  professional  brethren,  is  a  man 
of  sterling  character  and  has  achieved  an  excellent  reputation  as  a  law-yer, 
a  man  and  a  citizen. 

Since  coming  to  Battle  Creek  Mr.  Mustard  has  interested  himself 
actively  in  Republican  politics,  and  is  directing  the  forces  of  his  party  at 
this  time  as  chairman  of  the  Republican  city  committee.  His  religious 
connection  is  with  St.  Philip's  Catholic  Church,  and  he  holds  membership 
in  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  His  social  connection  is  with  the  Athelstan 
Club.  Mr.  Mustard  was  married  at  Mount  Pleasant,  Michigan,  June  30, 
igo8,  to  Miss  Blanch  Garvin,  who  was  born  and  reared  at  Mount  Pleas- 
ant, and  is  a  daughter  of  M.  E.  Garvin  of  that  place.  She  graduated 
from  the  high  school  in  1898,  from  the  Academy  of  the  Sacred  Heart, 
Mount  Pleasant,  in  1897,  and  from  the  Central  State  Normal  School  in 
1899.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mustard  are  the  parents  of  one  child :  Margaret 
Catherine,  born  August  3,  1913.  The  family  home  is  located  at  No.  211 
Fremont  street. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1807 

Joseph  Strong  Stringiiam.  For  many  years  engaged  in  railway, 
mining  and  general  engineering,  at  one  time  connected  with  the  United 
States  Engineer  Corps,  Mr.  Stringham  has  had  his  headquarters  in 
Detroit  since  1900,  and  for  several  years  has  been  manager  of  the 
Monarch  Steel  Castings  Company.  Outside  of  his  individual  accom- 
plishment, his  record  is  interesting  for  the  fact  that  he  is  a  lineal  de- 
scendant of  some  of  the  oldest  American  families,  and  his  most  famous 
ancestor  was  John  Alden. 

Joseph  Strong  Stringham  was  born  at  Saginaw,  ^Michigan,  October 
31,  1870,  a  son  of  Joseph  Stringham  of  Detroit  and  Pauline  Janette 
Backus  of  Troy,  New  York.  His  genealogical  descent  from  John  Alden 
is  traced  by  the  following  certified  record:  Joseph  Stringham,  his  father, 
was  born  August  8,  1841,  and  died  January  19.  1910,  and  was  mar- 
ried at  Detroit  September  14,  1869.  His  parents  were  Henry  T.  and 
Sarah  Jane  (Strong)   Stringham,  who  were  married  at  Detroit,  October 

10,  1839.  Sarah  Jane  Strong  was  born  September  5,  1821,  at  Roches- 
ter, New  York,  and  died  February  16,  1901.  Her  parents,  John  Warbam 
and  Mary  Banks  (Root)  Strong  were  married  September  12,  1808  (see 
Strong  genealogy,  102-3).  Mary  Banks  Root,  just  mentioned,  was  born 
September  16,  1791,  the  daughter  of  Hon.  Jesse  and  Rebecca  (Fish) 
Root,  of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  who  were  married  February  8,  1789 
(see  Stile's  Ancient  Windsor  11,  747),  Rebecca  Fish  was  born  in  Au- 
gust, 1770,  and  died  January  27,  1828.  Her  parents.  Dr.  Eliakam  Fish, 
of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  and  Sarah  Stillman,  of  Wethersfield,  Connec- 
ticut,  were  married   November   18,    1769    (Stile's  Ancient   Wethersfield 

11,  671).  Dr.  Eliakam  Fish,  who  was  born  February  2,  1740,  at  Ston- 
ington,  Connecticut,  and  died  May  7,  1804,  at  Hartford,  was  the  son 
of  Nathaniel  Fish,  of  Stonington,  Connecticut,  and  Mary  Pabodie,  of 
Little  Compton,  Rhode  Island.  Nathaniel  and  Mary  were  married  No- 
vember 28.  1736  (Stile's  Ancient  Wethersfield  11,  671;  D.xter.'s  Yale 
Graduates).  Marv  Pabodie  was  born  April  4,  171 1,  at  Little  Compton 
and  was  the  daughter  of  William  and  Judith  Pabodie  (N.  E.  Hist.  11,  52; 
Genealogical  Register  in,  57;  and  N.  E.  Hist.  Genealogical  Register). 
William  Pabodie,  who  was  born  November  24,  1664,  at  Duxbury,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  died  September  17,  1744,  at  Little  Compton,  Rhode  Island, 
was  the  son  of  William  Pabodie  of  Duxbury  and  Little  Compton  and 
Elizabeth  Alden  of  Duxbury,  Massachusetts,  who  were  married  Decem- 
ber 28,  1644  (N.  E.  Hist.  Genealogical  Register  in,  57).  Elizabeth 
Alden  was  born  in  1622-23  at  Plymouth  and  died  ]\Iay  31,  1717.  at  Little 
Compton.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John  Alden  of  Plymouth,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  Priscilla  Mullins  (Molines)  of  Plymouth  (N.  E.  Histy. 
Genealogical  Register  in,  64).  John  Alden  the  famous  character  of 
the  Plymouth  colonv,  was  born  in  1599  and  died  at  Duxbury  September 

12,  1687. 

The  Stringham  familv,  according  to  the  above  record,  was  early 
settled  in  Detroit.  Henrv  Ten  Broeck  Stringham  (1815-1895)  grand- 
father of  the  Detroit  engineer,  settled  there  in  1833,  and  was  identified 
with  several  earlv  Michigan  banks.  In  1839  'le  married  Sarah  Jane 
Strong,  daughter  of  John  \\^ireham  Strong,  a  well  known  Detroit  i)ioneer. 
Joseph  Stringham,  father  of  the  Detroit  engineer,  was  born  in  that  city 
August  8,  1841,  while  his  wife,  Pauline  Janette  Backus,  who  was  a  de- 
scendant of  the  Mann  and  Backus  families,  was  born  April  18,  1841.  at 
Troy,  New  York.  Joseph  Stringham,  received  his  education  in  private 
schools  and  at  Hamburg,  Germany,  and  for  many  years  was  engaged  in 
the  insurance  business.  During  the  Civil  war  he  saw  service  as  a  quar- 
termaster.    He  was  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Churcli  and 


1808  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

in  i)olitics.  a  Republican.  All  three  generations  have  been  members  of 
the  Detroit  Boat  Club. 

Joseph  Strong  Stringham  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  at 
Dufferin  College  in  London,  Ontario,  and  at  Ue  Veau.x  College  at  Sus- 
pension Bridge,  New  York.  His  career  began  as  a  grocery  clerk,  fol- 
lowed by  a  clerkship  with  the  old  Flint  and  Pere  Marquette  Railway, 
later  as  inspector  with  the  United  States  Engineer  Corps,  and  for  a 
time  as  clerk  in  an  umbrella  factory  in  New  York  City.  ]Mr.  Stringham, 
in  1893,  was  graduated  from  the  Michigan  College  of  Alines  at  Hough- 
ton. His  work  as  an  engineer  has  taken  him  into  many  different  local- 
ities, and  has  been  of  a  varied  character  with  important  responsibilities. 
He  did  work  as  an  engineer  in  Colorado,  California  and  British  Colum- 
bia. During  1897  he  was  with  the  United  States  Engineer  Corps,  as 
engineer  in  charge  of  the  rivers  and  harbors  of  Michigan,  chiefly  along 
the  shores  of  Lake  Alichigan.  During  the  Spanish-American  war,  Mr. 
Stringham  served  as  a  seaman  with  the  United  States  Navy  on  board 
the  "Yosemite,"  the  vessel  which  carried  the  Naval  Reserve,  the  record 
of  which  is  a  matter  of  pride  to  Michigan  people.  In  1899  Air.  String- 
ham surveyed  the  Isthmus  of  Darien  for  the  United  States  Government, 
as  one  of  the  possible  Canal  Routes. 

From  1900  to  191 1  his  work  w-as  as  constructing  engineer  for  the 
Solvay  Process  Company  of  Detroit,  and  since  1912  he  has  been  man- 
ager of  the  Monarch  Steel  Castings  Company  and  vice  president  of  the 
Detroit  Seamless  Steel  Tubes  Company. 

Air.  Stringham  is  a  member  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church  at  De- 
troit, is  a  trustee  and  vice  president  of  Harper  Hospital  and  a  trustee 
of  the  Masonic  Temple  Association.  In  the  Masonic  fraternity  he  has 
attained  high  honors,  having  received  the  thirty-third  degree  of  the 
Scottish  Rite. 

On  June  2,  1910,  at  Port  Huron,  Michigan,  he  married  Georgiana 
MacDonald.  Her  parents  were  Hilary  and  Hannah  (Pontine)  Alac- 
Donald.  Mrs.  Stringham  was  educated  in  the  high  school  and  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Farrand  Training  School  of  Harper  Hospital.  To 
their  marriage  has  been  born  one  daughter,  Helen  Strong  -Stringham, 
at  Detroit,  Alay  3,  1912,  and  one  son,  Josei)h  MacDonald  Stringham,  at 
Detroit.  July  15,  1914. 

Ir.v  a.  Beck.  Whether  considered  from  the  standpoint  of  his  pro- 
fessional achievements,  from  the  viewpoint  of  progressive  citizenship,  or 
from  the  position  he  has  attained  in  social  and  fraternal  life,  Ira  A.  Beck 
is  a  lawyer  of  pronounced  character.  Engaged  in  practice  at  Battle  Creek 
since  i(X>4.  he  has  risen  to  a  recognized  position  as  a  legist  of  broad  and 
practical  ability,  thorough,  determined,  resourceful,  alert  and  versatile, 
and  his  election  to  the  presidency  of  the  Athelstan  Club  is  a  substantial 
tribute  to  his  standing  as  a  man  and  a  sterling  citizen.  Mr.  Beck  belongs 
to  one  of  Alichigan's  old  and  honored  families,  and  w-as  born  September 
21,  1878.  at  Charlotte,  the  county  seat  of  Eaton  county,  Michigan,  his 
parents  being  John  T.  and  Ella  (Foster)  Beck,  natives  respectively  of 
New  York  and  Michigan.  His  father  was  for  many  years  identified  with 
the  agricultural  interests  of  Eaton  county,  but  is  now  living  practically 
retired  from  active  life,  having  an  attractive  home  in  the  city  of  Char- 
lotte. A  citizen  of  integrity  and  public-spirit,  he  has  at  all  times  retained 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens.  Politically  he  is  a  stanch 
Re])ublican,  although  he  has  not  entered  actively  into  the  activities  of  the 
political  arena. 

Ira  A.  Beck  early  displayed  abilities  far  out  of  the  ordinary  when  he 
graduated  from  the  Charlotte  High  school  when  a  lad  of  fourteen  years. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1809 

in  June,  1893,  the  youngest  person  ever  graduated  from  that  institution. 
He  began  reading  law  under  Judge  Horace  S.  :\Ia3nard,  and  after  some 
preparation  under  the  preceptorship  of  this  able  member  of  the  Eaton 
county  bar  was  admitted  to  practice  in  his  native  state  in  1899,  being  then 
just  twenty-one  years  of  age.  In  the  meantime,  in  1896,  he  had  been 
appointed  register  of  the  probate  court  of  Eaton  county,  and  this  posi- 
tion he  continued  to  fill  until  1901.  On  his  admittance  to  the  bar,  Mr. 
Beck  became  associated  with  Judge  Maynard,  in  his  native  city,  but  in 
1901  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  entered  the  offices  of  the  prominent  law 
firm  of  Flower,  Smith  &  Musgrave,  continuing  therewith  until  January 
I,  1904,  when  he  removed  to  Battle  Creek  after  an  experience  especially 
valuable  in  the  line  of  his  calling.  On  his  arrival  in  Battle  Creek  he 
formed  a  professional  partnership  with  Arthur  B.  Williams,  and  during 
the  five  years  of  its  existence  the  firm  of  Williams  &  Beck  was  regarded 
as  one  of  the  strong  legal  combinations  of  the  city.  Since  this  alliance 
has  been  dissolved  Mr.  Beck  has  continued  in  practice  alone,  and  now 
maintains  offices  in  the  Ward  Building.  Mr.  Beck's  law  practice  has  not 
been  confined  to  any  special  or  narrow  field,  but  has  been  of  a  broad  and 
general  character,  and  his  advice  is  sought  by  a  number  of  the  leading 
business  interests  of  Battle  Creek.  Since  coming  to  this  city  he  has  never 
omitted  an  opportunity  to  do  what  he  could  toward  the  improvement  of 
the  municipality.  Both  on  local  and  national  issues  he  Iielieves  that  the 
most  good  comes  from  a  consistent  support  of  the  Republican  partv.  and 
much  of  that  organization's  success  in  Battle  Creek  and  Calhoun  county 
may  be  accredited  to  his  sterling  efiforts.  Fraternally  he  is  Grand  Marshal 
of  the  Grand  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.  of  Michigan,  the  stepping  stone  which 
leads  by  advancement  to  the  office  of  Grand  IMaster  of  the  State,  is  past 
master  of  Battle  Creek  Lodge  No.  12,  past  eminent  commander  of  Battle 
Creek  Commandery,  No.  33,  Knights  Templar,  and  a  member  of  DeWitt 
Chnton  Consistory  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  Saladin  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  Grand  Rapids.  To  his  sub- 
stantial and  brilliant  traits  as  a  lawyer  and  his  stanch  character  as  a  man 
are  added  the  possession  of  the  sociable  and  attractive  qualities  of  the  cul- 
tured gentleman,  a  union  of  characteristics  which  has  raised  him  to  his 
present  enviable  position  as  a  lawyer  and  a  citizen.  He  is  president  of 
the  Athelstan  Club  and  a  member  of  the  Country  and  Community  Clubs, 
and  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Independent  Congregational 
Church.  The  attractive  family  home,  a  center  of  culture,  refinement  and 
hospitality,  is  located  at  No.  69  Garrison  avenue. 

Mr.  Beck  was  married  March  21,  1906,  to  Miss  Mildred  Phillips,  who 
was  born  and  reared  in  this  city,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Albanus  'SL  Phillips 
and  Adella  C.  Phillips,  the  former  for  thirty  years  a  leading  dentist  of 
Battle  Creek,  and  the  latter,  for  several  years,  the  champion  lady  archer 
of  the  United  States.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Beck :  iMargaret  and  Dorothy,  Margaret  having  recently  won  the  gold 
medal  (awarded  by  the  National  Race  Betterment  Conference  held  in 
Battle  Creek),  for  mental  and  physical  proficiency,  in  competition  with  the 
six  year  girls  of  the  schools  of  that  city. 

Alp-ert  a.  Arnold.  The  art  of  the  horticulturist  and  landscape  gar- 
dener has  always  been  given  its  share  of  admiration  by  the  world. 
Through  it  our  parks  have  been  beautified,  the  resting  jilace  of  our 
dearest  and  most  beloved  friends  has  been  created  into  a  garden  of 
loveliness,  and  our  cities  in  general  have  been  adorned  through  the 
artistic  arrangement  of  private  residence  grounds  and  those  of  public 
buildings.  In  this  connection  is  presented  a  review  of  the  life  of  Alliert 
A.  Arnold,  vice  president  of  the  Pontiac  Nursery  Company,  whose  ca- 


1810  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

reer  is  interesting,  both  because  of  the  high  place  he  holds  in  his  calling 
and  for  the  fact  that  he  has  risen  thereto  through  his  own  unaided 
efforts. 

Albert  A.  Arnold  was  born  May  12,  1883,  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  a  son 
of  Andrew  and  Katherine  (Haynes)  Arnold.  The  father  in  his  early 
life  had  been  a  landscape  gardener,  but  later  turned  his  attention  to 
stove  moulding  and  thus  continued  throughout  the  active  part  of  his 
career.  He  is  now  living  retired  and  makes  his  home  at  Dayton,  where 
the  mother  passed  away.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  of 
whom  two  are  deceased,  the  others  being;  Howard  and  Sylvester,  who 
are  moulders  and  make  their  home  at  Dayton;  and  Albert  A.  Albert 
A.  Arnold  was  given  but  few  educational  advantages,  as  the  family  were 
in  modest  circumstances  and  it  was  necessary  that  he  contribute  to  their 
support.  Accordingly,  at  the  age  of  eight  years,  having  shown  a  natural 
predilection  for  flowers  and  trees,  he  was  put  to  work  in  the  nursery 
of  Hoover  &  Gaines,  although  he  continued  to  prosecute  his  studies  in 
the  night  schools.  Three  years  later  this  tirm  failed,  owing  to  a  terrible 
blight  which  completely  ruined  them,  and  Mr.  Arnold  went  to  Xenia, 
Ohio,  where  he  found  employment  with  Gaines  &  McHeary,  the  re- 
ceivers for  the  firm  of  Hoover  &  Gaines.  He  continued  with  this  firm 
for  four  years,  and  then  had  one  year's  experience  in  the  state  of 
Georgia,  where  he  put  in  an  entire  year  at  budding  fruit  trees.  On  his 
return  to  Ohio  he  located  in  the  city  of  Cleveland  and  took  charge  of 
the  Stores  &  Harrison  Nursery  Company,  a  capacity  in  which  he  con- 
tinued for  about  a  year  and  a  half.  By  this  time  Mr.  Arnold  had  become 
an  expert  in  his  chosen  profession  and  his  reputation  was  beginning  to 
spread  in  the  line  of  landscape  gardening.  Having  early  learned  the 
value  of  a  dollar,  he  had  been  of  a  saving  disposition,  and  when  he  came 
to  Pontiac,  in  1906,  was  able  to  purchase  a  block  of  stock  in  the  I'ontiac 
Nursery  Company,  which  up  to  this  time  had  been  a  partnership  ar- 
rangement between  W.  W.  Essig  and  a  ]Mr.  Buchanan.  This  business 
had  been  a  failure  financially,  but  was  immediately  incorporated,  and 
through  the  energy  and  enterprise  of  Mr.  Arnold,  backed  by  his  years 
of  practical  e.xperience,  soon  was  put  upon  a  paying  basis.  "  Improve- 
ments to  the  extent  of  $17,000  have  been  put  in  since  that  time,  and  an 
inventory  in  the  fall  of  1912  showed  $67,000  represented  in  stock,  etc. 
The  Pontiac  Nursery  Company,  as  incorporated  in  1910,  has  a  capital 
of  $15,000,  and  its  present  oflicers  are:  \V.  W.  Essfg,  president;  .Albert 
A.  Arnold,  vice  president ;  and  B.  J.  IMonaghan,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
The  nursery  grounds  consist  of  200  acres  of  finely  situated  lands,  and 
the  company  specializes  in  landscape  gardening,  and  rearing  a  full  line 
of  fruit  trees,  shrubbery,  etc.,  the  business  of  the  firm  extending  over 
the  states  of  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Iowa,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Michigan,  and 
from  fifteen  to  seventy-five  men  being  employed.  Among  the  numerous 
works  of  art  in  landscape  gardening  done  by  Mr.  Arnold  may  be  men- 
tioned the  grounds  of  the  Edison  Company  of  Eastern  Michigan,  the 
new  high  school  grounds  and  the  waterworks  of  Pontiac,  and  all  the 
landscape  work  along  the  .St.  Clair  river.  The  company  maintains  offices 
in  the  Jones  Building,  Detroit. 

Mr.  Arnold  is  a  Democrat,  but  not  a  politician.  He  is  a  valued  mem- 
ber of  the  Elks,  and  holds  membership  in  Masonic  Lodge  No.  21,  the 
Chapter  and  Council.  Devoted  to  his  profession,  he  has  not  even  al- 
lowed himself  a  vacation  in  years,  but  when  he  feels  that  he  can  snatch 
a  few  hours  of  recreation,  arms  himself  with  his  rod  and  goes  to  whip 
the  streams  in  search  of  members  of  the  finny  tribe.  He  enjoys  the 
comjianionship  of  his  fellows,  and  being  of  a  genial  and  likeable  disposi- 
tion has  a  wide  circle  of  warm  friends. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1811 

Louis  E.  Stewart.  Through  his  able  qualities  as  a  lawyer  and  his 
stable,  popular  traits  as  a  man,  Louis  E.  Stewart,  of  Battle  Creek,  has 
rapidly  progressed  both  in  the  development  of  a  professional  reputation 
and  a  profitable  legal  business  since  coming  to  this  city  in  1902,  and  as 
senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Stewart  &  Jacobs  is  widely  known  in  the 
field  of  general  and  corporation  law.  He  is  a  native  son  of  Michigan, 
bom  near  Grand  Rapids,  Kent  county,  August  19,  1870,  his  parents  be- 
ing Henry  W.  and  Adeline  (Holden)  Stewart. 

Henry  W.  Stewart,  who  was  for  many  years  engaged  in  farming  in 
Michigan,  retired  from  active  pursuits  during  his  last  years,  and  passed 
away  February  13,  1913,  at  Braidentown,  Florida.  For  eight  years  he 
served  in  the  capacity  of  sheriff  of  Antrim  county,  Michigan,  to  which 
office  he  was  elected  in  1882,  and  in  his  public  capacity  established  an  ex- 
cellent record  for  courage  and  fidelity  to  duty.  Mrs.  Stewart  passed  away 
in  1883  in  Antrim  county,  which  had  been  the  home  of  the  family  for 
eight  years. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  of  Mancelona,  Michigan,  Mr. 
Stewart  taught  school  for  a  time.  He  then  learned  the  printer's  trade 
at  Bellaire,  Michigan,  but  the  following  year  resumed  his  studies  and  in 
1894  was  graduated  from  the  Bellaire  High  school.  His  predilections 
drawing  him  into  the  broad  and  stirring  domain  of  law,  Mr.  Stewart  en- 
tered the  legal  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor, 
from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1896,  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Laws,  and  immediately  thereafter  located  at  Albion,  Michi- 
gan. During  the  six  years  that  he  remained  at  that  point  he  was  suc- 
cessful in  accumulating  a  handsome  and  profitable  professional  business, 
but  in  November,  1902,  desiring  a  wider  field  for  his  activities,  came  to 
Battle  Creek,  where.  May  i,  1904,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Henry 
F.  Jacobs.  There  is  no  firm  in  Battle  Creek  at  this  time  that  is  a  better 
exemplar  of  the  restless  yet  substantial  ability  and  the  never  failing  re- 
sourcefulness of  the  rising  lawyer  of  today  than  that  of  which  he  is  an 
equal  partner.  The  firm  carries  on  a  general  law  business,  with  some  cor- 
poration practice,  and  has  a  representative  practice  among  some  of  the 
city's  leading  business  houses.  Mr.  Stewart  has  always  been  a  stanch 
Republican  in  his  political  views,  and  since  early  manhood  has  been  con- 
nected more  or  less  actively  with  the  affairs  of  his  party.  He  was  but 
twenty-one  years  of  age  when  he  was  elected  marshal  of  Bellaire,  while 
in  Albion  served  in  the  capacity  of  circuit  court  commissioner,  was  prose- 
cuting attorney  of  Calhoun  county  in  1907  and  1908,  and  in  191 1  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Battle  Creek  board  of  education  for  a  term  of 
three  years.  He  has  been  connected  with  various  interests  of  a  public 
nature.  Always  an  adherent  of  temperance,  in  1909  Mr.  Stewart  man- 
aged the  anti-saloon  campaign  in  Calhoun  county,  which  was  successful, 
Mr.  Stewart  carrying  the  county  for  the  "dry"  element  by  ninety-nine 
votes,  and  which,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  county,  put  every 
saloon  in  the  county  out  of  business  for  two  years.  Fraternally,  Mr. 
Stewart  is  connected  with  Battle  Creek  Lodge  No.  12,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons  ;  Bryant  Chapter,  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star  ;  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America,  of  Albion,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  of 
Battle  Creek.  He  also  holds  membership  in  the  Athelstan  Club  of  this 
city,  and  with  his  family  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Stewart  was  married  at  Albion,  Michigan,  August  5,  1903,  to 
Miss  Clarissa  Dickie,  who  was  born  at  Hastings,  Michigan,  and  was  edu- 
cated at  Albion  College,  where  she  was  graduated  from  its  Conservatory. 
Her  father,  Dr.  Samuel  Dickie,  M.  S.,  LL.  D.,  is  president  of  that  insti- 
tution. Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart,  namely: 
Mary,  born  at  Albion,  and  Elizabeth,  a  native  of  Battle  Creek.     The 


1812  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

family  have  an  attractive  residence  at  No.   192  Fremont  street,  where 
their  numerous  friends  are  invited  on  many  pleasant  social  occasions. 

Richard  H.  Browne.  Twenty-five  years  ago  Mr.  Browne  began  his 
career  in  Muskegon  as  a  coal  shoveler.  Today  he  is  president  and 
general  manager  of  the  Browne-Morse  Company,  a  corporation  capital- 
ized at  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars,  and  whose  manufacturing  products 
are  sent  all  over  the  world.  Mr.  Browne  is  still  a  young  man,  but  has 
accomplished  as  much  in  a  quarter  of  a  century  as  would  be  creditable  in  a 
lifetime. 

Richard  H.  Browne  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  November  23,  1872, 
a  son  of  William  H.  and  Elizabeth  Howden  Browne,  both  natives  of 
Ontario.  The  father  died  in  1894,  and  the  mother  in  191 1.  The  grand- 
father, Alexander  Browne,  a  native  of  Ireland,  came  to  Canada,  when 
a  young  man,  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  career  as  a  farmer.  The  maternal 
grandfather  was  Richard  Howden,  born  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  and 
coming  to  Canada  in  early  years,  also  following  the  vocation  of  farming. 
William  H.  Brown  during  his  active  career  was  successfully  engaged 
in  insurance  work.  He  held  the  rank  of  major  in  the  Canadian  ]\Iilitia 
in  the  Thirty-Fourth  Battalion.  He  and  his  family  were  Church  of  Eng- 
land people,  and  in  politics  he  was  a  conservative.  In  the  Masonic  Order 
he  belonged  to  the  Lodge,  the  Chapter  and  the  Council.  There  were  five 
sons,  and  the  four  living  are :  Frederick,  a  groceryman  at  Toronto, 
Canada ;  Richard  H.  Alexander,  who  is  foreman  in  a  manufacturing 
plant  at  Oshawa,  Ontario,  and  George,  living  in  Brooklyn,  Canada,  and 
connected  with  the  Canadian  Department  of  Agriculture. 

Richard  H.  Browne  had  a  public  school  education  in  his  native 
province,  and  his  higher  learning  was  consigned  to  one  week's  attend- 
ance in  the  collegiate  institute  at  Whitby.  He  was  fourteen  years  old 
when  he  came  to  Michigan,  and  in  September,  1888,  found  a  job  shovel- 
ing coal  for  the  gas  company  of  Muskegon.  His  service  with  the  gas 
company  continued  for  fifteen  years,  and  when  he  retired  he  was  as- 
sistant general  manager.  For  a  time  he  was  also  one  of  the  stock  hold- 
ers in  the  business.  On  leaving  the  gas  company  Mr.  Browne  became 
identified  with  the  Howden  and  Company,  steam  fitters  and  plumbers, 
and  with  that  concern  learned  the  trade  and  also  worked  as  office  boy, 
bookkeeper  and  finally  as  general  manager.  In  October,  1907,  'Sir. 
Browne  organized  the  Browne-Morse  Company,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  of  which  he  is  president  and 
general  manager.  This  company  manufactures  office  filing  devices  and 
specialties.  During  1912  the  company  did  an  aggregate  business  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  its  connections  have  been  so 
developed  that  the  products  are  sent  to  all  the  chief  commercial  centers 
of  the  world.  Mr.  Browne  is  himself  owner  of  the  majority  of  stock 
in  the  company. 

In  June,  191 1,  he  married  Emma  D.  Dratz,  daughter  of  John  Dratz, 
who  for  many  years  was  a  successful  merchant  at  ]\Iuskegon.  Airs. 
Browne  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church.  Socially  Mr.  Browne's 
connections  are  with  the  Masonic  Order,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protec- 
tive Order  of  Elks,  and  in  the  former  he  has  taken  the  Knights  Templar 
degree,  belongs  to  the  Consistory,  and  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  has  spent 
practically  all  his  business  career  in  Muskegon,  and  enjoys  the  high 
esteem  of  all  the  citizens,  and  has  always  interested  himself  in  behalf 
of  good  government  and  civic  improvement.  For  four  years  his  serv- 
ices were  given  to  the  citv  as  a  councilman,  and  he  was  at  one  time  can- 
didate for  mayor,  being  defeated  by  seventy  votes.  In  politics  Mr. 
Browne  is  for  the  man  he  thinks  will  give  the  best  for  the  most  of  the 
people. 


RICHARD  II.  r.KOWXE 


THE  NIW  TOUK 
FBBllCiUiURY 


AST*"  '     '        •     ^    '  ■•» 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1813 

James  E.  Fkrguson,  M.  D.  For  more  ihan  twenty  years  Dr.  Fer- 
guson has  been  an  active  member  of  the  Michigan  medical  fraternity, 
has  had  a  broad  range  of  experience,  both  as  a  private  practitioner 
and  in  pubHc  service  connected  with  his  profession.  Since  1909  he  has 
practiced  at  Grand  Rapids,  with  offices  in  the  .\shton  building.  Dr. 
James  E.  Ferguson  was  born  July  31,  1868,  in  Elgin  county,  Ontario, 
and  was  the  oldest  in  a  family  of  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  Two 
of  the  doctor's  brothers  are  physicians,  and  his  sister  married  a  physician. 
The  parents,  Dougal  and  Sarah  ( Shearer )  Ferguson,  were  very  pros- 
perous farming  people  of  Ontario.  Both  were  natives  of  Scotland, 
whence  they  immigrated  to  Canada,  and  located  in  Ontario,  w-here  they 
became  owners  of  a  splendid  farm  of  six  hundred  acres.  Dougal  Fergu- 
son was  a  man  of  prominence  in  his  community,  and  was  elected  to  the 
Canadian  Parliament. 

James  E.  Ferguson  was  reared  in  Canada,  attended  the  grammar 
and  high  schools,  graduating  from  the  latter  at  the  age  of  seventeen. 
For  two  years  he  pursued  his  medical  studies  at  Montreal,  and  in  1899 
entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  where  he  was  graduated  M.  D. 
in  1890.  The  first  year  and  a  half  of  his  experience  were  in  the  Eastern 
Michigan  Insane  Asylum.  For  fifteen  years  he  was  in  active  practice 
at  Belding,  and  in  ickx)  established  himself  at  Grand  Rapids,  where  he 
now  enjoys  a  large  practice  of  representative  order-.  In  1907,  Dr.  Fer- 
guson took  a  special  course  at  the  Chicago  Eye,  Ear,  Nose  &  Throat 
College. 

On  July  17,  1895,  Dr.  Ferguson  married  Katharyn  Wilson,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  C.  Wilson  of  Port  Huron,  ^lichigan.  They  are 
the  parents  of  two  sons,  Dougal  E.,  now  in  high  school,  and  James  D., 
in  the  grade  schools.  Dr.  Ferguson  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  Order, 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  while  his  wife  has  membership  in  the  Eastern  Star.  The  doctor 
also  belongs  to  the  County  and  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  American 
Medical  Association.  For  ten  years  he  served  as  United  States  Pension 
E.xaminer.  He  and  his'  family  reside  at  141  Auburn  Avenue  in  Grand 
Rapids. 

John  C.  Reynolds,  M.  D.  The  Michigan  medical  profession  has 
been  honored  by  the  labors  and  achievements  of  some  of  the  leading 
practitioners  of  the  country,  men  who  have  won  success  and  position 
through  steadfast  and  devoted  loyalty  to  the  best  interests  and  highest 
ideals  of  their  chosen  calling.  The  city  of  Battle  Creek  has  been  the  scene 
of  the  activities  of  some  of  the  most  successful  of  this  group  of  honored 
professional  men,  and  foremost  among  them  is  found  Dr.  John  C.  Rey- 
nolds, who  for  thirty-two  years  has  been  engaged  in  practice  here,  winning 
constant  recognition  of  his  high  abilities,  especially  in  the  special  depart- 
ment of  diseases  of  the  head,  throat  and  lungs. 

Doctor  Reynolds  is  a  Canadian,  born  near  Port  Hope,  Province  of 
Ontario,  April  15,  1857,  and  was  five  years  old  when  he  accompanied 
his  parents,  Francis  and  Margaret  (Kells)  Reynolds,  to  Rochester,  New 
York.  His  father  early  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Canada  and 
became  the  owner  of  a  handsome  property,  but  his  extreme  kind-hearted- 
ness led  him  into  signing  notes  for  friends,  who  afterwards  proved  dis- 
honest, and  in  this  way  lost  about  everything  that  he  owned.  In  after 
years  he  frequently  impressed  upon  his  children  the  danger  of  signing 
their  names  to  notes,  and  when  on  his  death-bed,  his  last  words  to  them 
were  to  that  eiifect.  Upon  leaving  his  native  land  and  coming  to  the 
United  States,  he  started  all  over  again  in  diliferent  lines  of  endeavor, 
and  through  energy  and  persistence  became  fairly  successful.     He  re- 


1814  HISTORY  OF  iMICHIGAN 

mained  in  New  York  from  1862  until  1865  and  then  came  to  Battle  Creek, 
which  city  continued  to  be  his  home  during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  his 
death  occurring  in  1885.  Mrs.  Reynolds  survived  until  1908,  when  she 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  five 
sons  and  six  daughters,  of  whom  four  sons  and  one  daughter  are  sur- 
viving at  this  time,  as  follows :  Margaret,  who  is  the  widow  of  Ezra 
Kipp  and  resides  at  her  residence  on  Adams  street,  Battle  Creek ;  Frank, 
the  first  born,  who  is  a  resident  of  Pensacola,  Florida;  William,  who 
maintains  his  home  in  Texas ;  John  C,  of  this  review ;  and  Joseph  W., 
who  is  a  successful  practicing  attorney  at  Duluth,  Minnesota.  One 
brother,  Thomas,  was  drowned  at  Battle  Creek  when  twenty-one  years 
of  age. 

The  early  education  of  Dr.  John  C.  Reynolds  was  secured  in  the 
public  schools  of  Battle  Creek,  Michigan,  to  which  city  he  was  brought 
Idv  his  parents  as  a  child  of  five  years.  He  early  displayed  a  marked  in- 
clination for  the  medical  profession  and  when  he  was  nineteen  years  of 
age  began  his  medical  studies  under  Dr.  Austin  S.  Johnson,  of  Battle 
Creek,  an  able  preceptor  and  helpful  friend.  Following  this,  Doctor 
Reynolds  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Pulte  Medical  College,  in 
Cincinnati.  Ohio,  and  from  that  institution  received  his  diploma  and  de- 
gree of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  being  graduated  with  the  class  of  1882.  He 
had  already  chosen  his  field  of  practice,  and  immediately  opened  offices 
at  Battle  Creek,  which  city  has  continued  to  be  his  field  of  endeavor  and 
the  scene  of  his  successes  to  the  present  time.  He  has  continued  to  be  a 
student,  spending  a  great  deal  of  his  time  in  research  and  investigation, 
and  in  1895  took  a  post-graduate  course  in  the  Chicago  Homeopathic 
Medical  College.  His  deep  and  thorough  knowledge,  his  superior  talent 
and  his  kindly,  helpful  sympathy  have  attracted  about  him  a  large  general 
practice,  but  he  has  given  special  attention  to  the  treatment  and  cure  of 
diseases  of  the  head,  throat  and  lungs,  a  field  in  which  he  has  won  merited 
distinction.  In  the  line  of  his  calling,  he  is  connected  with  the  ^Michigan 
State  Medical  Homeopathic  Society.  Fraternally,  he  holds  membership 
in  A.  T.  Metcalf  Lodge,  No.  419,  Free  and  Accepted  Alasons,  and  in  the 
Commandery,  Knights  Templar;  and  is  likewise  a  member  of  the  local 
lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  A  stalwart  Republican  in  his  political 
views,  he  has  served  as  alderman  of  the  Fifth  Ward  for  two  terms,  and 
his  public  service  has  been  of  a  distinctively  helpful  nature.  While  the 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  his  large  practice  have  been  very  heavy,  he 
has  never  been  too  busy  to  contribute  of  his  time  or  services  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  any  helpful  civic  measure,  and  he  is  thus  deserving  of  a 
place  among  the  builders  of  the  city.  His  career  has  been  successful  in  a 
material  way,  and  at  this  time  he  is  the  owner  of  a  large  amount  of  real 
estate,  both  Ijusiness  and  residential,  and  has  his  home  and  office  at  No. 
16  North  Division  street. 

The  marriage  of  Doctor  Reynolds  occurred  on  August  5,  1885,  when 
he  was  united  with  Mrs.  Elizabeth  H.  Briggs,  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Major  Hudson,  who  died  at  Paw  Paw,  Michigan,  December  19,  1881. 
Dr.  Reynolds  has  no  children  of  his  own,  but  is  the  stepfather  of  Mrs. 
Allene  B.  Wells,  of  Detroit,  who  is  the  wife  of  D.  Graham  Wells.  She 
is  the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Reynolds  by  her  first  husband,  whose  full  name 
was  George  Allen  Briggs.  Ujion  his  death,  his  surviving  widow  married 
Dr.  Reynolds.  At  the  date  of  this  marriage  the  daughter,  Allene,  was 
but  three  years  old.  Therefore  Dr.  Reynolds,  from  that  date  forward, 
was  in  every  sense  a  father  to  her,  and,  in  his  own  language,  "She  was 
to  me  the  same  as  an  own  daughter."  Mr.  and  Mrs.  \\'ells  are  the  parents 
of  five  children,  namelv:     Martha  E.,  Helen,  Miriam.  lohn  A.  and  Ruth. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1815 

Herbert  Pritchard  Orr,  deputy  state  insurance  commissioner  of 
Michigan,  and  one  of  the  state's  well-known  legists  and  influential  citi- 
zens, is  a  native  of  Michigan  and  a  representative  of  one  of  its  pioneer 
families.  Mr.  Orr's  father,  Frederick  H.  Orr,  was  born  at  Tuscola,  Tus- 
cola county,  Michigan,  in  1859,  the  son  of  the  late  M.  David  Orr,  M.  D., 
who  was  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  and  one  of  the  pioneer  physicians 
of  Tuscola  county,  Michigan,  where  he  settled  during  the  early  days  of 
the  history  of  the  state.  Mr.  Orr's  mother  was,  before  her  marriage, 
Katie  R.  O'Kelly,  and  was  bom  in  the  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  in 
1856,  a  daughter  of  Ebenezer  O'Kelly,  who  was  a  native  of  Grand  Island, 
New  York,  and  moved  from  that  place  to  Canada  and  later  to  Michigan, 
being  a  pioneer  of  Tuscola  county.  The  father,  Frederick  H.  Orr,  has 
been  prominent  in  the  public  affairs  of  Tuscola  county  and  Michigan  for 
a  number  of  years.  He  was  elected  on  the  Republican  ticket  to  the  office 
of  county  clerk  of  Tuscola  county,  and  for  several  years  filled  the  posi- 
tion of  deputy  collector  of  customs  for  the  Port  Huron  District. 

Herbert  Pritchard  Orr  was  reared  at  Tuscola  and  his  early  educa- 
tion was  secured  in  the  public  schools  of  that  place,  he  being  graduated 
from  the  high  school  in  1901.  Following  this  he  adopted  the  law  as  his 
life  vocation,  entering  the  law  department  of  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan, from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1905  and  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  During  that  same  year  Mr.  Orr  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  and  immediately  entered  practice  and  opened  an  office  at 
Caro,  Michigan,  where  he  continued  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  excellent 
professional  business  until  1909.  In  that  year  his  abilities  and  acquire- 
ments were  recognized  by  his  appointment  to  the  office  of  actuary  of  the 
State  Insurance  Department,  an  important  office  which  he  has  held  until 
November,  1910,  having  been  reappointed  in  1913  by  the  incoming  com- 
missioner of  insurance,  Hon.  John  T.  Winship.  Mr.  Orr  is  a  Republican 
in  his  political  affiliation  and  has  been  stalwart  in  his  support  of  that 
party's  principles  and  candidates,  but  has  won  friends  among  men  of  all 
political  denominations  by  his  straightforward  actions  and  earnest  devo- 
tion to  the  best  interests  of  the  people  of  his  state.  He  is  well  known  in 
Masonry,  being  a  member  of  Lansing  Lodge  No.  33,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  like- 
wise is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  belonging  to  Caro  Lodge 
of  that  order. 

Mr.  Orr  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Catherine  M.  Johnson,  of 
Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  daughter  of  Leonard  S.  Johnson,  and  to  this  union 
there  has  come  one  son,  Garrett  Pritchard,  born  in  1907. 

C.\RLiSLE  P.  Hull.  By  his  business  and  also  through  a  wide  per- 
sonal and  family  relationship,  Carlisle  P.  Hull  is  prominently  known  in 
Grand  Rapids  and  Kent  county.  With  his  offices  in  the  Fourth  National 
Rank  Building,  j\Ir.  Hull  has  developed  a  large  business  as  a  realty 
broker  and  in  addition  to  his  local  dealings  is  manager  of  the  Crow 
Agency  realty  brokers,  and  agent  for  the  Chicago  Bonding  &  Surety 
Company.  Another  profitable  connection  is  as  agent  of  the  Canadian 
Pacific  Land  Company,  and  looks  after  the  interests  of  that  company 
over  four  Michigan  counties. 

Carlisle  P.  Hull  was  born  at  Ravenna,  Portage  county,  Ohio.  June 
19,  1866.  a  son  of  Calvin  E.  and  Jennie  L.  (Eatinger)  Hull.  Calvin  E. 
Hull,  who  was  born  at  LeRoy,  Genesee  county.  New  York,  Febraary 
7,  1837,  was  a  son  of  Philo  and  Emmeline  ( \'inton )  Hull,  the  former 
a  native  of  New  York  and  the  latter  of  Massachusetts.  Grandfather 
Hull  moved  to  Canada,  and  later  became  a  pioneer  in  Michigan  and  died 
on  his  farm  in  Kent  county,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  Grand  Rap- 
ids.     Calvin   E.   Hull  was  a  child   when  his  parents  moved  to   Canada, 


1816  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

and  in  liis  fourlecnth  year  he  came  to  Kent  county.  Alichigan,  settling 
with  his  parents  on  a  wild  farm  and  growing  up  in  the  midst  of  pioneer 
surroundings.  Besides  his  work  as  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  he  learned 
the  trade  of  stone-cutter  and  mason.  A  short  time  before  the  beginning 
of  the  war  he  went  to  Ohio  and  enlisted  in  Company  I  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fourth  Ohio  Infantry.  His  service  was  for  three  years, 
and  he  participated  in  many  of  the  well  known  campaigns  and  battles 
of  the  western  army,  including  Resaca,  Franklin  and  Nashville.  With 
the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Ravenna,  Ohio,  followed  his  trade 
until  1868,  and  in  that  year  settled  in  Lowell,  Kent  county,  Michigan, 
and  in  1876  became  a  farmer  in  Lowell  township.  In  1886  Calvin  E. 
Hull  retired  with  a  competency,  and  since  lived  quietly  in  Grand  Rapids, 
surrounded  with  the  comforts  of  e.xistence.  Calvin  E.  Hull  was  mar- 
ried at  Ravenna,  Ohio,  April  22,  1861,  to  Jennie  L.  Eatinger,  who 
was  born  at  Ravenna  December  16,  1844.  Her  parents  were  Samuel 
S.  and  Catherine  ( Mercer )  Eatinger.  Her  father  was  the  son  of  a 
German  immigrant  and  was  the  second  male  white  child  born  in  Portage 
county,  Ohio.  Catherine  I^Zatinger  was  born  in  Beaver  county.  Penn- 
sylvania. Calvin  Hull  and  wife  became  the  parents  of  four  children; 
Carlisle  P.;  Winslow  C,  an  Ionia  county  farmer;  Rose  -\..  wife  of 
James  A.  Young;  and  S.  Eugene. 

When  Carlisle  P.  Hull  was  two  years  of  age  his  parents  moved  in 
1868  to  Lowell,  Michigan,  and  that  town  furnished  him  his  bo\hood 
environment  and  its  schools  gave  him  his  education  until  he  was  ten 
years  of  age.  His  father  having  moved  out  to  a  farm  in  Lowell  town- 
ship in  1876,  the  country  then  became  his  home  until  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age.  Mr.  Hull  .in  1886  returned  with  his  parents  to  Grand 
Rapids,  and  has  been  a  citizen*6f  that  city  ever  since.  During  his  early 
career  as  a  farmer  Mr.  Hull'  learned  the  trade  of  engineer,  millwright 
and  builder,  and  those  vocations  furnished  the  basis  for  his  career  until 
191 1.  In  the  meantime,  however,  for  three  years  he  had  been  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business  with  his  father  at  Grand  Rapids.  Since  191 1 
^Ir.  Hull  has  devoted  his  undivided  attention  to  the  real  estate  business 
and  his  success  in  that  line  is  indicated  by  his  substantial  connections  ' 
and  by  the  reputation  which  he  bears  in  Grand  Rapids  for  safe  and 
reliable  handling  of  all  matters  entrusted  to  his  care. 

Mr.  Hull  is  a  progressive  Republican,  and  is  affiliated  with  \'alley 
City  Lodge  No.  86,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  has  been  twice  married.  His 
first  wife  was  Isabel  Williams,  and  she  left  one  child.  Calvin  E.,  born 
in  Grand  Rapids  in  1890.  Mr.  Hull's  present  wife  before  her  mar- 
riage was  Nellie  M.  IMcNally. 

Edg.\r  B.  Foss  has  been  a  resident  of  Bay  county  for  about  forty 
years,  and  during  this  entire  period  has  been  connected  with  the  lumber 
trade.  Commencing  in  the  humblest  position,  he  mastered  its  many  de- 
tails and  has  continued  in  the  business  until  he  has  attained  at  length  a 
commanding  position  among  the  enterprising  dealers  and  manufacturers 
of  Bay  City,  and  has  shown  himself  able  to  hold  it  amid  the  strong  com- 
petition which  increasing  capital  and  trade  have  brought  to  the  city.  His 
success  is  due  alone  to  his  energetic  character  and  business  capacity,  for 
he  began  life  without  pecuniary  assistance  or  the  aid  of  family  or  other 
favoring  influences. 

Mr.  Foss  comes  of  a  family  long  represented  in  New  England,  of 
English  extraction.  He  was  born  Febrtiary  28,  1853,  at  Willimantic, 
Connecticut,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  B.  (Slade)  Foss,  natives 
of  Massachusetts,  the  father  being  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 
while  the  Slades  were  farming  people.     John  Foss  died  when  Edgar  B. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1817 

was  still  a  small  boy,  but  the  mother  survived  for  a  long  period,  and 
when  she  passed  away  in  1907  had  attained  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  The  youngest  of  his  parents'  eleven  children,  Edgar  B. 
Foss  attained  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Woonsocket  and 
Providence,  Rhode  Island,  but  faced  the  world  when  still  a  small  lad, 
his  first  employment  being  as  office  boy  in  the  office  of  Governor  Henry 
Lippitt  of  Rhode  Island.  He  was  but  fifteen  years  old  when  he  came 
to  Kawkawlin,  Bay  county,  Michigan,  and  here  secured  employment  in 
the  office  of  Dexter  A.  Ballou,  a  lumber  manufacturer,  with  whom  he 
received  his  introduction  to  the  business  in  which  he  was  later  to  become 
such  an  important  factor.  After  several  years  with  D.  A.  Ballou  he 
accepted  a  position  with  Van  Etten,  Kaiser  &  Company,  lumbermen,  as 
a  traveling  salesman,  was  subsequently  with  their  successors.  Van  Etten, 
Campbell  &  Company,  and  George  Campbell  &  Company,  in  a  like  ca- 
pacity, and  when  the  latter  firm  retired  from  business  he  ventured  upon 
an  enterprise  of  his  own  at  Bay  City.  With  a  thorough  acquaintance  of 
the  details  of  the  business,  gained  at  a  period  when  so  many  young  men 
are  wasting  their  opportunities  in  frivolity  and  dissipation,  he  entered 
into  the  prosecution  of  his  activities  with  an  enthusiasm  and  tenacity  of 
purpose  which  guided  him  safely  over  the  first  few  years.  His  initial 
success  bred  confidence,  and  he  soon  broadened  the  scope  of  his  oppor- 
ttuiities,  gradually  reaching  further  and  further  until  today  he  controls 
a  comfortable  share  of  tlie  trade  between  Michigan  and  the  Atlantic 
coast.  He  manufactures  and  handles  white  pine  lumber,  with  saw  mills 
in  Canada,  and  planing  mills  and  wholesale  lumber  yard  in  Bay  City, 
handling  about  50,000,000  feet  annually,  and  owning  large  timber  tracts 
in  Canada  and  on  the  Pacific  coast.  In  the  Canadian  mills  he  has  about 
four  hundred  employes,  including  those  in  the  woods ;  in  Bay  City  he 
employs  about  two  hundred  and  sixty  men ;  and  is  also  at  the  head  of  a 
coal  mining  company  operating  in  Genesee  and  Bay  counties,  which  em- 
ploys the  services  of  some  four  hundred  men.  His  coal  output  aggre- 
gates about  200,000  tons  annually.  Mr.  Foss'  opinion  upon  matters  con- 
nected with  the  lumber  trade  is  influential  with  the  members  of  the  voca- 
tion, who  regard  him  as  thoroughly  informed  and  have  confidence  in  the 
soundness  of  his  judgment.  His  opinions  are  often  sought  as  a  guide 
to  their  operations  on  occasions  of  doubt  and  uncertainty.  In  political 
matters  a  stalwart  Republican,  Mr.  Foss  was  a  presidential  elector  on  the 
Roosevelt  ticket  in  1904  and  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  National  Con- 
vention in  1908  which  nominated  William  H.  Taft  for  the  presidency. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  belonging  to  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chap- 
ter, Commandery,  Consistory  and  Shrine,  and  is  a  valued  and  popular 
member  of  the  Bay  City  Club.  His  religious  connection  is  with  the  Con- 
gregational church. 

Air.  Foss  was  married  in  Bay  City  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Fitzgerald, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Fitzgerald,  and  to  this  union  there  have  been  born 
three  children:  Walter  I.,  Edgar  H.  and  Edith  Hope.  Essentially  a 
home  man,  Mr.  Foss  is  never  so  happy  as  when  in  the  midst  of  his  family, 
but  he  also  enjoys  motoring  and  takes  frequent  trips  to  various  points  in 
his  adopted  state.  His  sturdy  character  and  sterling  qualities  make  him 
one  of  the  representative  men  of  Bay  City,  and  his  signal  services  to  his 
community  entitle  him  to  be  numbered  among  its  most  substantial  builders. 

Charles  Stewart  Mott.  Mayor  of  Flint,  president  of  the  Weston- 
Mott  Manufacturing  Company,  president  and  one  of  the  incorporators 
of  the  Industrial  Savings  Bank,  Charles  S.  Mott  is  one  of  the  enter- 
prising manufacturers  who  have  made  Flint  conspicuous  as  a  prosperous 
industVial  center.     A  voung  man  of  remarkable  personality,  energy  and 


1818  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

capacity  for  business,  while  Mr.  ]Mott  is  largely  employed  in  the  man- 
agement and  direction  of  a  local  industry  regarded  as  a  nianisiay  of 
Flint,  he  is  at  the  same  time  identified  intimately  with  the  larger  life 
and  activities  of  the  community.  His  business  career  has  been  one  of 
consecutive  growth  since  youth,  when,  in  New  York  city,  where  he 
grew  up.  he  was  associated  with  his  father,  and  eventually  became  iden- 
tified with  the  \\'eston-]\Iott  Company,  which  since  transferred  its  enter- 
prise to  Flint. 

Charles  Stewart  Mott  was  born  at  Newark.  New  Jersey.  June  2,  1875, 
a  son  of  John  C.  and  Isabella  Turnbull  (Stewart)  ]\Iott.  His  father  was 
born  in  New  Y'ork  and  his  mother  in  New  Jersey.  The  father  was  a 
maker  of  cider  and  vinegar  in  New  York  state,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
forty-nine  years.  The  mother  is  still  living  and  resides  at  Glen  Ridge. 
New  Jersey.  There  were  just  two  children,  and  the  daughter,  Edith 
Stewart  Mott,  is  the  wife  of  Herbert  E.  Davis  of  Glen  Ridge,  New 
Jersey. 

After  an  education  in  the  public  schools  ]\Ir.  Charles  S.  Mott,  in  Au- 
gust, 1894,  when  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  went  abroad  and  remained 
one  year  in  the  study  of  zymotechnology  and  chemistry  at  Copenhagen, 
Denmark,  and  in  Alunich,  Germany.  Subsequently,  with  the  class  of 
1897,  he  was  graduated  as  a  mechanical  engineer  from  Stevens  Insti- 
tute of  Technology  at  Hoboken,  New  Jersey.  Following  his  technical 
education  Mr.  ]\Iott  went  into  business  with  his  father  in  the  manufacture 
of  carbonators.  The  firm  was  known  as  C.  S.  ]\Iott  &  Company.  In 
1900,  a  year  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Alott's  father,  the  plant  was  moved 
to  Utica.  New  Y'ork.  and  was  merged  and  continued  in  the  factory  of 
the  \\'eston-Mott  Company,  which  had  been  organized  in  1896  and  of 
which  Mr.  Mott  was  already  a  director.  The  \\'eston-AIott  Company 
manufactured  as  its  chief  output  automobile  axles,  hubs,  and  rims.  The 
business  grew  with  phenomenal  rapidity,  and  from  the  start  was  always 
on  a  most  substantial  footing.  With  the  extension  of  business  it  became 
advisable  to  change  locations  in  order  to  get  nearer  the  center  of  the 
automobile  world,  and  accordingly  the  firm  was  moved  from  Utica. 
New  York,  to  Flint.  Mr.  Mott  since  February,  1907.  has  been  promi- 
nent not  only  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  Weston-Mott  Company,  but  also 
in  many  business  and  semi-public  activities  related  to  the  continued 
prosperity  of  this  city  as  a  commercial  community.  The  Weston-Mott 
Company  at  Flint  built  seven  large  and  commodious  factory  buildings, 
with  an  aggregate  of  four  hundred  thousand  square  feet  of  floor  space, 
and  all  the  buildings  are  of  substantial  brick  construction  and  from  one 
to  three  stories  in  height.  The  company  is  capitalized  at  a  million  and  a 
half  of  dollars,  and  more  than  two  thousand  persons  are  on  their  payroll. 
No  other  enterprise  in  Flint  is  a  more  substantial  pillar  of  prosperity 
than  this  company.  Some  years  ago  at  Utica  the  original  firm  employed 
only  about  sixty  hands.  The  products  of  the  \\'eston-Mott  Company 
are  sold  all  over  the  world,  and  ever)-  process  and  detail  of  the  manu- 
facture has  been  refined  to  the  highest  point  of  efficiency  so  that  the 
reputation  for  the  goods  is  well  deser^-ed. 

Since  coming  to  Flint  'Sir.  Alott  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Industrial  Savings  Bank,  primarily  as  an  institution  for  the  benefit  of 
the  industrial  community  of  which  he  is  the  head.  This  bank,  of  which 
Mr.  ^Mott  is  president,  is  housed  in  a  modern  two-story  brick  structure 
opposite  the  factories  at  the  corner  of  Hamilton  and  Industrial  streets, 
and  has  a  capital  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  with  seventy  thousand 
dollars  surplus.  Owing  to  the  growth  of  the  bank  business  it  became  nec- 
essan'  in  the  spring  of  1913  to  open  a  branch  bank  in  the  F.  P.  Smith 
building  on  Saginaw  street.     Mr.  Mott  is  also  a  director  of  the  Genesee 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1819 

County  Savings  Bank.  Other  interests  in  Flint  include  a  position  as 
director  of  the  Flint  Sandstone  &  Brick  Company,  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  that  company,  a  director  of  the  Standard  Rule  Company,  director 
of  the  Copeman  Stove  Company  and  of  the  Sterling  Motor  Company  of 
Detroit,  a  director  of  the  General  Motor  Company,  and  director  of  the 
Brown-Lipe-Chapin  Company  of  Syracuse,  New  York. 

In  the  spring  of  1912,  as  an  independent  business  man  and  without 
any  particular  brand  of  politics,  Mr.  I^Iott  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
mayor,  and  has  shown  what  a  capable  business  man,  successful  in  private 
enterprise,  can  do  towards  making  a  larger  and  better  city.  He  has 
applied  himself  with  great  energy  to  the  upbuilding  of  Flint,  along  the 
line  of  street  improvements,  better  schools  and  better  institutions  gen- 
erally, and  has  followed  the  policy  of  distributing  the  resources  of  the 
city's  wealth  without  special  advantage  to  any  one  section,  it  being  a 
part  of  the  fundamental  policy  of  Mayor  j\Iott  that  every  quarter  of 
Flint  should  receive  equal  benefit  with  every  other  section  from  the  cur- 
rent revenues  of  the  municipality.  Mr.  Mott  has  taken  a  prominent  part 
in  local  Y.  M.  C.  A.  work  and  was  chairman  of  the  executive  committee 
of  the  association  and  a  leader  in  the  recent  campaign  for  the  raising  of 
one  hundred  and  twelve  thousand  dollars  to  construct  a  new  building. 
Mrs.  Mott  has  manifested  a  similar  activity  in  the  affairs  of  the  Young 
Women's  Christian  Association,  and  is  prominent  in  club  and  church  af- 
fairs. Among  his  earlier  experiences,  Mr.  Mott  in  1898  joined  the  Navy 
and  served  through  the  Spanish-American  war  on  board  the  United 
States  Ship  Yankee  and  also  for  six  years  was  connected  with  the 
Naval  Militia  of  New  York.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Society 
of  Mechanical  Engineers  and  the  Society  of  Automobile  Engineers.  In 
Masonry  he  has  taken  thirty-two  degrees  in  the  Scottish  Rite,  belongs 
to  the  Knight  Templars  and  Mystic  Shrine,  and  also  has  affiliation  with 
the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose 
and  the  United  Spanish  War  \'eterans.  His  social  relations  are  with 
the  Flint  Country  Club,  the  Detroit  Club,  and  outside  of  business  his 
chief  pleasures  are  in  hunting  and  fishing. 

On  Tune  14,  1900,  at  New  York  City,  Mr.  Mott  married  Miss  Ethel 
C.  Harding,  a  daughter  of  Herbert  B.  and  Aimee  (Culbert)  Harding  of 
New  York  City.  To  their  marriage  have  been  born  three  children,  as 
follows:  Aimee  Mott,  born  in  Utica,  New  York,  April  15,  1902;  Elsa 
Beatrice  Mott,  born  in  Utica  November  14,  1904;  and  Charles  Stewart 
Harding  Mott,  born  in  Utica  November  4,  1906.  Mr.  Mott  owns  a 
beautiful  home  at  423  East  Kearsley  street. 

Martin  J.  Cavanaugh,  a  successful  Ann  Arbor  lawyer  whose  prac- 
tice has  embraced  a  large  scope,  began  his  career  in  Washtenaw  county 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  and  along  with  the  solid  accom- 
plishments of  a  skillful  lawyer  has  enjoyed  the  esteem  paid  to  the  public- 
spirited  and  useful  citizen.  Mr.  Cavanaugh  has  associated  with  him  in 
the  practice  of  law,  George  James  Burke. 

He  represents"  an  old  family  of  Michigan,  and  was  born  on  a  farm 
in  Manchester  township,  Washtenaw  County,  in  1865,  a  son  of  Matthew 
and  Mary  (Daly)  Cavanaugh.  Both  his  parents  were  born  in  Ireland, 
and  they  had  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  living:  Martin  J.,  the 
eldest;  Thomas  J.,  who  graduated  in  law  from  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan in  1892  and  is  now  engaged  in  practice  at  Paw  Paw,  Van  Buren 
county,  Michigan,  and  Mrs.  Ellen  Reilly  of  Washtenaw  county. 

Martin  J.  Cavanaugh  attended  a  country  district  school,  later  the  high 
school  at  the  village  of  Manchester  until  finishing  in  1883,  and  then  en- 
tered the  University  of  ^Michigan  and  was  graduated  Bachelor  of  Arts  in 


1820  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAX 

1887.  His  law  studies  had  been  pursued  at  the  same  time  with  his  literary 
course,  and  in  1887  he  passed  the  required  examination  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  The  first  year  was  spent  in  practice  at  Chelsea  in  Washtenaw 
county  with  Michael  J.  Lehman  and  since  then  in  Ann  Arbor.  Mr. 
Cavanaugh  is  experienced  in  practically  all  classes  of  litigation  and  is 
noted  among  his  associates  for  broad  and  conscientious  work. 

He  has  held  the  offices  of  County  Commissioner  of  Public  School, 
Clerk  of  the  United  States  Circuit  Court  at  Detroit  and  was  a  member 
of  the  Constitutional  Convention  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  making 
the  present  constitution  for  Michigan.  His  services  as  president  for 
many  years  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  Ann  Arbor  have  contributed 
much  to  the  continued  usefulness  and  progress  of  the  local  public  school 
system.  On  November  6,  1889.  Mr.  Cavanaugh  married  ^Iiss  Mary  C. 
Seery.     Their  four  children  are  Stella,  Ralph,  Camilla  and  Ruth. 

Charles  Donald  Thompson,  who  has  practiced  law  at  Bad  Axe  sev- 
enteen years,  and  belongs  to  a  pioneer  family  in  that  section  of  the  state, 
w-as  born  in  the  eastern  part  of  ''The  Thumb"  of  ^Michigan,  on  February 
21,  1873.  He  is  the  only  son  of  Charles  Ezra  and  Elizabeth  (McDonald) 
Thompson.  He  graduated  from  the  Bad  Axe  public  schools  and  entered 
the  literary  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan  with  the  class  of 
'97.  Before  completing  his  literary  course  he  entered  the  law  department, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1896,  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  Since  then 
he  has  practiced  law  at  the  city  of  Bad  Axe,  the  county  seat  of  Huron 
county.  He  is  a  Presbyterian,  a  Republican  and  a  Knight  Templar.  For 
many  years  he  has  served  as  city  attorney,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Michigan  Constitutional  Convention  of  1907-08.  ]\Ir.  Thompson  is  a 
director  of  the  State  Savings  Bank  of  Bad  Axe,  the  Consolidated  Tele- 
phone Company  and  other  local  corporations. 

Charles  E.  Thompson,  his  father,  was  born  in  Port  Huron  in  1845 
and  came  to  Huron  county  in  1854.  He  was  the  only  son  of  John  Dame 
Thompson,  who  served  in  the  Twenty-Ninth  ^Michigan  Infantry  in  the 
Civil  war,  and  whose  ancestors  came  to  America  on  the  ^Mayflower  (see 
"Descendants  of  John  Thomson")  and  Mary  A.  (Lockwood)  Thompson. 
Though  prominent  as  a  Republican  he  was  elected  to  nearly  every  county 
office,  and  in  many  cases  by  an  almost  non-partisan  vote.  He  served  some 
twenty-two  years,  having  been  County  Clerk,  Treasurer,  Register  of 
Deeds,  and  Judge  of  Probate.  Judge  Thompson  was  prominent  in  both 
the  York  and  Scottish  Rite  Masonic  bodies.  His  death  occurred  in  1907. 
Elizaljeth  Thompson,  the  mother,  was  born  at  London,  Ontario,  in  1851. 
She  descends  through  her  father  from  the  Clanranald  branch  of  the 
Clan  MacDonald,  and  through  her  mother  from  the  Earl  of  Seaforth  of 
the  Clan  MacKenzie  of  Scotland.  She  has  been  prominent  in  the  club 
and  social  development  of  her  city.  There  are  three  younger  sisters: 
Grace  McDonald  Thompson,  A.  B.  ( U.  of  M.),  C.  D.  F.  of  Denver; 
Elizabeth  Lockwood  Tliompson,  A.  B.  and  M.  S.  (U.  of  M.),  now 
an  assistant  in  the  Department  of  Zoolog}'  in  the  University  of  Michigan ; 
and  Helen  Beulah  Gaige,  .\.  B.  and  A.  M.  (U.  of  M.),  wife  of  Frederick 
IM.  Gaige,  A.  B.  (U.  of  M.).  She  is  administrative  assistant  and  Mr. 
Gaige  is  entomological  assistant  of  the  Museum  of  the  University  of 
Michigan.  ]\Iiss  Thompson  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gaige  have  all  been  elected 
to  membership  in  Sigma  Xi,  the  National  Scientific  Honorary  Society. 

On  January  10.  19 12,  Charles  D.  Thompson  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Ida  Elizabeth  Proctor,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  Franklin  Proctor, 
who  served  in  Berdan's  Company  of  Sharpshooters  during  the  Civil  War, 
and  .-Vmelia  (Robinson)  Proctor.  Both  of  Mrs.  Thompson's  parents  are 
deceased.     The  Proctor  familv  came  to  America   from  England  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1821 

early  part  of  the  last  century,  settled  first  in  New  Brunswick,  then  in 
Alassachusetts,  then  in  \'ermont,  and  later  in  Western  Michigan.  Mrs. 
Thompson  was  born  in  Ionia  county.  She  graduated  from  her  home  high 
school  and  taught  several  years  in  the  grade  and  high  schools  of  her  home 
county.  She  then  entered  the  training  school  of  the  Saginaw  General 
Hospital  and  after  completing  her  course  became  the  first  superintendent 
of  the  Hubbard  Memorial  Hospital  at  Bad  Axe,  from  which  she  was 
called  to  be  Superintendent  of  the  Saginaw  General  Hospital,  which  posi- 
tion she  held  until  her  marriage. 

Ror.KRT  G.  ;\IacKexzie,  A.  B.,  M.  D.  In  1907  Dr.  ^MacKenzie  grad- 
uated in  medicine  from  the  University  of  Michigan.  His  father  was 
an  alumnus  of  the  same  school,  and  though  the  family  home  has  long 
been  in  southern  Illinois  the  city  of  Ann  Arbor  has  many  associations 
for  both  generations.  The  younger  Dr.  MacKenzie  chose  to  remain 
at  Ann  Arbor  after  graduating,  has  become  connected  with  the  faculty 
of  instruction  in  the  medical  department  of  the  university,  enjoys  a 
good  practice  as  a  .physician  and  surgeon,  but  is  probably  best  known 
to  the  rank  and  file  of  local  citizenship  through  his  official  position  as 
mayor,  to  which  he  was  elected  in  1913. 

The  Scotch  ancestors  of  Dr.  MacKenzie  settled  in  Nova  Scotia  many 
years  ago.  Dr.  Robert  Gordon  MacKenzie  was  born  at  Chester,  Ran- 
dolph county,  Illinois,  June  3,  1882,  a  son  of  Dr.  William  R.  and  Nellie 
(Gordon)  MacKenzie.  Nova  Scotia  was  the  birthplace  of  his  father, 
who  received  his  earlv  education  there  and  in  1870  graduated  from  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of  Alichigan.  The  following  five 
years  were  spent  in  practice  in  the  historic  old  town  of  Kaskaskia,  Ran- 
dolph county,  Illinois,  which  was  the  first  capital  of  the  territory  of 
Illinois.  Since  then  his  home  and  general  practice  has  been  at  Chester 
in  the  same  county.  Dr.  William  R.  MacKenzie  has  attained  the  age 
of  three  score  and'  ten.  His  wife,  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky  ancestry, 
was  born  at  Chester,  representing  an  old  family  of  that  county.  The 
oldest  of  their  three  children  is  Dr.  William  A.  MacKenzie,  a  success- 
ful physician  and  surgeon  at  St.  Louis :  Dr.  Robert  G.  is  second :  and 
the  sister,  Adeline,  is  wife  of  Dr.  Edward  T.  Urban,  also  a  St.  I-ouis 
physician. 

Robert  G.  IMacKenzie  attended  the  Chester  public  schools,  in  1901 
was  graduated  from  Smith's  Academy  of  St.  Louis,  and  subsequently 
was  a  student  of  McKendree  College  at  Lebanon,  Illinois.  At  the  same 
time  his  studies  in  medicine  had  been  carried  on  under  the  direction  of 
his  father.  In  1907  he  was  awarded  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine, 
and  in  1908  he  was  graduated  Bachelor  of  Arts  from  the  University 
of  Michigan.  Since  then  Dr.  MacKenzie  has  built  up  a  general  practice 
at  Ann  Arbor.  He  is  a  memlier  of  the  surgical  stafif  of  St.  Joseph's 
Hospital.  His  professional  relations  are  with  Washtenaw  County  Med- 
ical Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American 
Medical  Association.  In  his  citizenship  he  is  guided  by  modern  and 
progressive  ideals,-  and  the  community  regarded  itself  as  fortunate  in 
his  election  to  the  office  of  mayor  in  1913.  Dr.  MacKenzie  is  Republican 
in  politics,  and  fraternally  is  associated  with  the  Masonic  Lodge  and  the 
Ann  Arbor  Lodge  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 

On  Christmas  Day  of  1908  Dr.  ^MacKenzie  married  ^liss  Marian 
Cole,  of  his  old  home  town  of  Chester,  Illinois.  They  have  one  son, 
Robert  Gordon,  Jr. 

George  A.  Striffler.  He  whose  name  initiates  this  paragraph  is 
not   only   one   of   the   representative   business   men   and   landholders   of 


1822  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

Tuscola  county  but  is  a  native  son  of  the  county  and  a  scion  of  one  of 
its  best  known  and  most  honored  pioneer  faniihes.  Here  he  was  reared 
and  here  he  has  found  abundant  scope  for  personal  achievement  along 
normal  lines  of  enterprise.  He  is  the  leading  implement  dealer  at  Cass 
City,  one  of  the  thriving  and  attractive  towns  of  this  section  of  the 
state,  and  as  a  citizen  and  business  man  he  is  well  upholding  the  honors 
of  a  name  that  has  been  most  prominently  linked  with  the  development 
and  upbuilding  of  Tuscola  county. 

George  Albert  Striffler  was  born  on  a  pioneer  farm  in  !-"lkland  tr)wn- 
ship,  Tuscola  county,  Alichigan.  on  the  lOth  of  March,  1804,  and  the 
place  of  his  nativity  is  one  mile  east  and  one  mile  north  of  Cass  City, 
his  present  place  of  residence.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (  Cenkel- 
man)  Striffler,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  near  Lancaster,  Erie 
county.  New  York,  of  German  lineage,  and  the  latter  of  whom  was  born 
in  the  kingdom  of  Wurtemburg,  Germany.  The  father  was  reared  to 
manhood  in  the  old  Empire  state  and  there  he  learned  the  trade  of  car- 
penter. In  1850  he  came  to  Michigan  and  numbered  himself  among  the 
pioneers  of  Tuscola  county,  where  he  obtained  a  tract  of  wild  land,  in 
Elkland  township,  and  where  he  instituted  the  reclamation  of  a  farm  of 
forty  acres,  in  the  meanwhile  finding  much  requisition  for  his  services  as 
a  carpenter,  at  Cass  City  and  other  points  in  this  section.  He  was  num- 
bered among  the  very  early  settlers  of  the  county  and  he  erected,  for 
William  Clark,  the  first  frame  store-building  in  Cass  City,  besides  having 
done  much  other  important  work  tending  to  advance  the  upbuild.ing 
and  progress  of  the  village  and  county.  He  was  identified  with  lum- 
bering operations  for  a  number  of  years  and  threw  himself  fully  into 
the  strenuous  work  involved  in  the  development  of  a  new  country. 
He  has  ever  commanded  inviolate  place  in  popular  esteem  and  he  is 
todav  honored  as  one  of  the  sterling  pioneer  citizens  of  the  county  in 
which  he  has  long  maintained  his  home  and  in  which  he  has  served  in 
various  township  offices.  He  was  born  March  15,  1833,  and  his  devoted 
wife,  who  was  born  May  22,  1839,  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal 
on  the  4th  of  May,  1913;  he  is  now  living  retired  in  Cass  City.  (3f 
the  seven  children,  six  are  still  living:  Emaline  is  the  wife  of  .Archi- 
bald Mark,  and  they  reside  on  the  old  Striffler  homestead ;  George  A., 
of  this  review,  was  the  next  in  order  of  liirth  ;  Salome,  who  resides  in 
Cass  City,  is  the  widow  of  William  Bein :  Miss  Martha  has  supervi- 
sion of  the  domestic  economies  of  her  father's  home,  in  Cass  City ; 
Esther  is  the  wife  of  William  R.  Kaiser,  of  this  place :  and  David  A. 
is  now  a  resident  of  Columbus,  Georgia. 

George  A.  Striffler  was  reared  on  the  homestead  farm  and  well 
recalls  the  conditions  and  incidents  of  the  pioneer  days  in  Tuscola  county. 
After  attending  the  district  school  he  continued  his  studies  in  the  public 
schools  of  Cass  City,  and  he  was  about  thirty-two  years  of  age  when  he 
went  to  the  city  of  Detroit,  to  learn  the  trade  of  steam-fitting,  in  the 
Michigan  Central  car  shops.  He  completed  his  apprenticeship  and  then 
returned  to  Cass  City,  where  he  has  since  been  successfully  engaged  in 
the  implement  business,  as  the  successor  of  his  cousin,  Jacob  H.  Striffler, 
who  founded  the  enterprise  many  years  ago,  so  that  it  is  the  oldest  busi- 
ness of  its  kind  in  Tuscola  county,  even  as  it  is  the  largest  in  Cass  City, 
with  equipment  and  facilities  of  the  best  type.  The  original  firm  was 
J.  H.  Striffler  &  Company,  and  the  present  firm  was  first  Striffler  & 
McDermott  and  is  now  composed  of  George  A.  Striffler  and  Charles  E. 
Patterson.  The  firm  deals  in  all  kinds  of  farm  implements  and  machinery 
as  well  as  in  buggies,  carriages  and  wagons,  the  trade  of  the  concern 
being  widely  disseminated  and  its  reputation  being  of  the  highest.  Mr. 
Striffler  has  recently  completed  in  Cass  City  a  handsome  and  thoroughly 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1823 

modern  house  of  twelve  rooms,  the  same  being  the  family  home  and  one 
of  the  most  attractive  in  the  village,  even  as  it  is  one  of  the  most  hospit- 
able,— a  center  of  much  of  the  social  activity  of  the  community.  An 
appreciable  part  of  the  timber  utilized  in  the  erection  of  this  building 
was  taken  from  land  owned  by  Mr.  Striffler  and  is  of  growth  that  has 
been  made  since  the  disastrous  forest  fires  which  swept  this  section  in 
1871.  Mr.  Striffler  himself  found  satisfaction  in  assisting  in  the  sawing 
of  the  logs  into  the  lumber  and  shingles  for  his  fine  new  residence. 

Like  other  representatives  of  the  family  Mr.  Striffler  stands  exponent 
of  progressiveness  and  public  spirit,  and  he  is  one  of  the  loyal  and  liberal 
citizens  of  his  native  county.  He  was  a  Republican  until  the  formation 
of  the  Progressive  party,  in  1912,  when  he  transferred  his  allegiance  to 
the  new  organization.  He  has  not  been  ambitious  for  public  office  but 
has  served  as  township  treasurer.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  local  organi- 
zation of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  and  his  wife,  who  is  a  leader  in 
the  social  life  of  the  community,  is  a  member  of  the  Woman's  Literary 
and  Study  Club,  besides  being  a  devoted  communicant  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church. 

In  the  year  1900  Mr.  .Striffler  wedded  Miss  Cora  Belle  Home,  of 
Manitowoc,  Wisconsin,  where  she  was  born  and  reared,  and  they  have 
one  son,  Ervine  Albert,  who  was  born  in  Cass  City,  on  the  27th  of 
March,  1906. 

Nathan  Goodwill  Davis.  The  late  Nathan  Goodwill  Davis,  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Michigan,  who  died  on  March  20,  i88g,  was  a  New 
Yorker  by  birth,  his  natal  day  having  been  January  22,  1830,  so  that  he 
was  just  past  fifty-nine  years  of  age  when  death  claimed  him.  He  was 
a  son  of  Ezra  and  Theodosia  (Goodwill)  Davis,  and  he  came  to  Jackson, 
Michigan,  with  his  parents  when  yet  a  babe  in  arms,  this  city  represent- 
ing his  home  from  then  until  the  day  of  his  passing,  though  in  his  latter 
years  he  spent  a  good  deal  of  time  in  the  south  and  west.  At  one  time 
he  spent  three  years  away  from  Jackson,  that  time  being  passed  in  Kan- 
sas, Colorado  and  California,  though  he  continued  to  retain  his  Jackson 
home  and  other  interests  throughout  that  period.  He  was  in  search  of 
health  when  on  these  peregrinations,  and  always,  when  his  condition 
permitted  it,  he  would  return  to  Jackson,  his  home  city,  and  the  place 
where  he  best  loved  to  be. 

When  the  Davis  family  first  came  to  Jackson,  they  settled  on  a  farm, 
which  in  later  years  came  to  be  known  as  the  Thomas  Kent  farm,  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  city,  much  of  Jackson  as  it  stands  today  being  built 
upon  what  was  in  bygone  years  the  Davis  farm  and  home. 

As  a  mere  lad,  Nathan  Goodwill  Davis  went  to  work  in  a  grocery 
store  for  Charles  L.  Mitchell,  in  a  clerking  capacity,  and  he  continued 
with  Mr.  Mitchell  until  he  was  old  enough  and  sufficiently  experienced 
to  go  into  business  for  himself,  when  he  opened  a  grocery  store  on  his 
own  responsibility.  Thereafter  for  a  long  period  of  years  Mr.  Davis 
was  counted  among  the  leading  grocers  in  the  city,  carrv'ing  on  both 
wholesale  and  retail  activities.  He  built  the  block  on  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Mechanic  and  Cortland  streets,  and  for  many  years  his  grocery 
business  was  carried  on  in  that  building. 

Mr.  Davis  was  a  shrewd  and  capable  business  man,  and  he  ac(|nired, 
in  the  passing  years,  the  ownership  of  much  other  valuable  property  on 
Cortland  street,  between  Mechanic  and  Francis  streets,  on  both  the  north 
and  south'  sides,  all  of  which,  including  the  block  where  his  business  was 
located,  is  now  the  property  of  his  widow  and  children. 

In  the  year  1874  Mr.  Davis  retired  from  the  grocers-  business  and 
purchased   the   old    Exchange   Hotel,   changing   its   name    to   the   Davis 


1824  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

Hotel.  The  place  then  stood  where  now  is  located  the  building  of  the 
International  Harvester  Company.  In  moving  into  the  hotel  Mr.  Davis 
was  so  unfortmiate  as  to  contract  a  severe  cold  that  developed  into  an 
acute  attack  of  pleurisy,  and  though  he  lived  for  many  years  thereafter, 
he  never  regained  his  former  strength  and  vigor,  a  fact  that  will  account 
for  his  many  journeys  to  the  south  and  west  in  later  years. 

On  October  4,  1864,  Mr.  Davis  was  married  to  i\Iiss  Elizabeth  Jack- 
son, of  Blackman,  Jackson  county,  Michigan.  She  was  born  in  Erie 
county,  New  York,  on  October  2~,  1847,  coming  to  Michigan  with  her 
parents  when  she  was  seven  years  of  age.  Her  father  was  Rodolph  D. 
Jackson,  and  her  mother's  maiden  name  was  Anna  Meade.  The  mother 
died  in  New  York  state,  prior  to  the  removal  of  the  family  to  this  state. 
Rodolph  Jackson  married  in  later  years  ]\Iiss  Alma  Ferguson,  who 
proved  herself  a  kind  and  devoted  step-mother  to  the  four  motherless 
children  of  his  first  wife. 

Three  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Airs.  Davis.  Nathan  G.  Davis, 
Jr.,  was  born  July  2,  1869:  Paul  J.,  born  February  4,  1886;  and  Bessie. 
The  daughter  died  in  infancy,  and  the  two  sons  are  residents  of  Jackson. 
The  eldest  son,  Nathan  G.,  was  married  on  August  30,  1904,  to  Miss 
Lena  G.  Hoag,  and  they  have  two  sons, — Paul  J.,  born  November  21, 
1907,  and  Jack  H.,  born  July  31,  1910. 

In  1890  the  widow  of  Mr.  Davis  became  the  wife  of  the  late  Prof. 
Washington  M.  Skinner,  formerly  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  who  was 
a  talented  musician  and  vocalist,  and  for  many  years  was  a  prominent 
instructor  and  conductor  of  music.  He  died  on  January  31,  1912,  without 
issue  from  this  marriage. 

On  February  11,  1909.  the  younger  son  of  Nathan  G.  Davis  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Ina  Wise.    They  have  no  children. 

Nathan  G.  Davis  was  a  remarkably  successful  business  man,  as  will 
be  conceded  by  all  who  have  any  familiarity  with  his  active  career,  and  in 
the  years  of  his  business  activity  he  accumulated  a  large  fortune. 

He  was  fond  of  thoroughbred  horses  and  on  his  fine  farm  near 
Jackson  paid  special  attention  to  the  breeding  of  trotting  horses,  becom- 
ing widely  known  for  his  success  in  that  work.  Some  of  the  products 
of  his  stables  became  famous  winners  on  American  race  tracks,  among 
them  being  Frank  Moscow,  and  Louis  Napoleon  Jr.  Though  he  gave 
the  most  businesslike  attention  to  that  enterprise,  it  was  really  his  recrea- 
tion, and  about  the  only  form  of  sport  he  indulged  in. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Davis  was  recorded  as  one  of  the  heaviest  tax 
payers  in  Jackson. 

His  widow,  now  the  widow  of  Prof.  Skinner,  as  has  been  noted 
previously,  has  her  residence  at  No.  136  Lansing  avenue,  where  she  has 
one  of  the  pleasing  and  desirable  homes  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
city. 

George  H.  Clippert.  Detroit  has  for  a  long  period  of  years  been 
a  center  for  the  manufacture  of  clay  products  and  one  of  the  oldest 
brickmakers  in  the  city  is  George  H.  Clippert,  whose  career  has  been 
associated  with  brick  manufacture  for  more  than  thirty  years.  His 
father  before  him  was  one  of  the  earlier  brickmakers,  a  prominent 
banker  and  active  in  official  affairs.  Mr.  Clippert  is  now  president  of 
the  George   H.   Clippert  &   Bro.   Brick   Company. 

George  H.  Clippert  was  born  in  Springwells.  now  a  part  of  the  city 
of  Detroit,  on  March  24,  i860.  His  parents  were  Conrad  and  Giristiana 
F.  (Pfeifle)  Clippert.  They  were  both  natives  of  Hesse-Cassell.  Ger- 
many, where  Conrad  was  born  February  14,  1834.  Brought  to  the  United 
States  in  1849,  his  family  located  at  Springwells,  and  as  a  boy  of  fifteen. 


^^^.^f? 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1825 

first  in  the  old  country,  he  began  working  out  a  career  which  eventually 
made  him  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  Detroit.  R.  H.  Hall  was  at  that 
time  and  had  for  a  number  of  years  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  brick  at  Springwells,  and  it  was  under  him  that  Conrad  Clippert 
learned  the  business  and  re:nained  a  faithful  employe  for  more  than 
twenty  3'ears,  part  of  the  time  serving  as  foreman  and  as  superintendent 
of  the  plant.  In  1876  his  long  experience  was  converted  into  independent 
enterprise  as  a  brick  manufacturer,  and  in  1884  he  was  joined  bv  his 
two  sons,  George  H.  and  Charles  F.,  at  which  time  the  firm  name  became 
Conrad  Clippert  &  Sons.  For  a  number  of  years  Conrad  Clippert  served 
as  supervisor  and  in  1880  was  elected  to  the  office  of  sheriflf' of  Wayne 
county,  and  re-elected  in  1882.  His  election  came  on  the  Republican 
ticket,  although  at  that  time  the  county  was  normally  Democratic,  a  fact 
which  indicates  his  high  personal  popularity.  In  1898  Conrad  Clippert 
assumed  the  duties  of  vice-president  of  the  Central  Savings  Bank  of 
Detroit,  and  was  an  officer  of  that  institution  until  his  death  in  Jan- 
uary, igoi. 

George  H.  Clippert  thus  grew  up  in  the  atmosphere  of  business  ac- 
tivity, and  was  liberally  educated  in  the  St.  John's  German  school,  the 
Patterson's  private  school  for  boys,  and  in  Goldsmith's  Business  College. 
A  retail  grocery  store  in  1875  took  him  in  as  clerk,  and  a  year  later  he 
began  railroading  as  a  fireman  with  the  ^Michigan  Central,  and  three 
years  later  was  promoted  to  engineer.  Leaving  railroad  service  in  1883 
Mr.  Clippert  entered  his  father's  office,  and  soon  had  an  important  share 
of  the  responsibilities  and  management  in  an  industry  which  had  been 
developed  to  large  and  prosperous  proportions.  As  already  mentioned, 
in  1884  he  was  taken  in  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Conrad  Clippert  & 
Sons,  and  for  the  next  ten  years  closely  devoted  his  time  and  ability 
to  brick  manufacture.  In  1894  the  old  firm  was  succeeded  by  that  of 
George  H.  Clippert  &  Bro.,  and  in  1899  was  incorporated  as  the  George 
H.  Clippert  &  Bro.  Brick  Company,  of  which  he  is  president  and  treas- 
urer; his  brother,  Charles  F.,  is  vice-president  and  general  manager, 
and  Harrison,  a  son  of  George  H.,  is  secretary. 

In  allied  activities  and  in  public  affairs  Mr.  Clippert  has  always 
manifested  a  public-spirited  part.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  members 
of  the  Detroit  Builders'  &  Traders'  Exchange,  of  which  he  has  served 
as  vice-president  and  as  president  in  1913 ;  belongs  to  the  Detroit  Board 
of  Commerce,  and  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  \^'ayne 
County  and  Home  Savings  Bank.  From  1907  to  1909  he  was  chairman 
of  the  Board  of  Control  of  the  State  Industrial  Home  for  Girls.  His 
fraternal  affiliations  are  with  Union  Lodge  of  the  Masonic  Order,  with 
the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Harmonic  Society 
and  the  Detroit  Athletic  Club. 

C)n  September  28,  1886,  Mr.  Clippert  married  Miss  Flora  A.  Lyon, 
who  was  born  in  Detroit,  a  daughter  of  Adolph  A.  Lyon,  a  merchant 
tailor.     The  children  are :     Edna,  Harrison,  Phyllis.  Helen  and  George. 

Thomas  Hood.  Fifty-three  of  the  seventy-six  years  of  the  life  of 
Thomas  Hood  have  been  connected  with  the  city  of  Jackson,  and  except 
a  few  years  of  absence  in  foreign  countries,  have  been  spent  in  the  midst 
of  the  stirring  events  of  this  city's  activities  and  as  a  participant  in  its 
municipal,  business  and  social  growth.  Although  now  living  retired 
from  active  pursuits,  he  still  takes  a  keen  interest  in  aiTairs  connected 
with  the  lumber  trade,  in  which  he  was  engaged  for  many  years,  and  in 
the  breeding  of  trotting  horses,  some  of  his  animals  having  made  his 
name  known  in  various  parts  of  the  world. 

Thomas  Hood,  or  "Rodney  Hood"  as  he  was  affectionately  known 


1826  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

by  his  numerous  friends,  was  born  at  Pebles-on-the-T\veed,  Scotland, 
his  ancestors  being  Scotch  Presbyterians.  His  natal  date  was  July  20, 
1837,  and  he  is  a  son  of  James  and  Belle  (Rutherford)  Hood.  Air.  Hood 
was  given  limited  educational  advantages,  leaving  school  in  his  native 
land  when  he  was  twelve  years  old.  following  which  he  began  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  miller,  his  father's  occupation.  When  he  was  fifteen  years  of 
age  his  parents  decided  to  come  to  America,  and  accordingly,  in  1852, 
the  family  arrived  in  County  Wellington,  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada. 
There  the  youth  learned  the  trade  of  butcher,  with  an  elder  brother,  and 
continued  to  be  thus  engaged  in  Canada  until  i860.  In  that  year  IMr. 
Hood  migrated  to  the  United  States,  and  at  once  took  up  his  home  in 
Jackson,  where  he  has  continued  to  reside  to  the  present  date.  He  arrived 
in  this  city  under  rather  unfavorable  conditions,  his  cash  capital  con- 
sisting of  fifty  cents,  but  he  was  industrious  and  ambitious  and  soon 
secured  employment  with  the  firm  of  Ford  &  Lyon,  who  conducted  a 
meat  market.  He  first  received  wages  of  thirteen  dollars  a  month,  but 
after  he  had  worked  for  three  years  his  services  had  become  so  valuable 
to  his  employers  that  he  was  receiving  one  hundred  dollars  a  month.  His 
position  was  a  congenial  one  and  he  was  making  good  wages,  but  it  had 
always  been  his  desire  to  be  at  the  head  of  a  business  of  his  own,  and 
this  ambition  was  realized  in  1863,  when,  in  partnership  with  John  Watts, 
a  friend,  who  also  worked  for  Ford  &  Lyon,  he  established  the  firm  of 
Hood  &  Watts,  and  commenced  business  in  a  meat  market  of  his  own, 
located  on  the  present  site  of  the  Carter  building.  This  venture  was  a 
success  almost  from  the  start  and  the  partners  did  a  prosperous  business 
in  handling  meats  and  in  eventually  shipping  cattle.  In  the  next  several 
vears,  however,  Mr.  Hood  became  interested  in  sawmilling  and  lumber- 
ing, and  finally  he  sold  his  interest  in  the  market  and  stock  business  in 
order  to  concentrate  his  energies  upon  the  new  line.  During  the  next 
twenty  years  he  had  large  interests  in  the  pine  region  of  Northern  Alichi- 
gan,  but  through  it  all  maintained  his  home  in  Jackson.  He  still  has  an 
interest  in  a  veneer  factory  at  Big  Rapids,  Michigan.  Mr.  Hood's  prudent 
and  skillful  management  of  his  business  afifairs  yielded  large  profits,  so 
that  at  the  time  of  his  retirement  he  had  a  comfortable  competency.  For 
years  he  was  one  of  the  best  known  breeders  of  harness  horses  in  Michi- 
gan, and  was  also  known  as  a  campaigner.  His  breeding  establishment 
was  located  one  mile  and  a  half  from  Jackson,  and  was  known  as  Hamlet's 
Home  Stock  Farm,  a  tract  of  160  acres,  on  which  Mr.  Hood  built  up 
one  of  the  finest  trotting  horse  breeding  establishments  in  the  state.  At 
its  head  was  the  noted  sire,  "W.  H.  Cassidy,"  which  was  by  "Young 
Jim,"  in  tuni  by  "George  Wilkes."  Mr.  Hood  produced  on  this  farm  a 
number  of  trotters  that  afterward  won  laurels  on  the  tracks  of  both 
America  and  Europe,  and  many  of  the  trotters  of  the  present  day  now 
campaigning  in  the  United  States,  Europe  and  Africa,  were  bred  on 
Hamlet's  Home  Stock  Farm.  On  this  farm  was  produced  the  famous 
colt  "Thomas  Hood,"  named  after  himself,  which  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Michigan  Trotting  Horse  Association,  held  at  Kalamazoo,  in  September, 
1912.  won  a  cup  which  had  been  offered  by  the  association  to  the  Michi- 
gan breeder  who  could  produce  the  winner  of  the  three-year-old  class, 
a  cup  of  silver,  beautifully  engraved,  and  worth  more  than  $200,  although 
Mr.  Hood  values  it  far  beyond  that  price.  Mr.  Hood  is  a  popular  mem- 
ber of  the  local  lodge  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is 
a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  public  matters  have  not  appealed  to  him  and 
he  has  not  sought  public  office. 

On  December  27,  1864,  Mr.  Hood  was  married  to  Miss  Maria  Pond, 
daughter  of  the  late  C.  C.  Pond,  during  his  day  one  of  the  wealthy  and 
prominent  citizens  of  Jackson.     Mrs.  Hood  died  May   15,  1886,  having 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1827 

been  the  mother  of  two  daughters  now  surviving,  namely :  Nettie  Groom, 
who  is  now  the  wife  of  Wiley  Reynolds,  of  Jackson;  and  Jessie  M.,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Harry  Bassett,  of  Flint,  Michigan.  Four  children  of  Mr. 
Hood  are  dead,  as  follows :  Etta  Belle,  George,  William  and  James. 

Richard  H.  Fyfe.  Of  an  old  Scottish  family,  represented  in  Amer- 
ica since  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  identified  with 
Michigan  practically  throughout  the  period  of  statehood,  Mr.  Richard 
H.  Fyfe  has  himself  for  more  than  seventy  years  been  a  resident  of 
Michigan,  and  as  a  citizen  and  business  man  of  Detroit  has  for  a  long 
term  of  years  enjoyed  the  fruit  of  larger  success,  and  at  the  same  time 
has  devoted  his  exceptional  ability  to  the  welfare  of  his  city  and  state. 
A  few  years  before  the  war,  Mr.  Fyfe  began  his  career  in  Detroit  as  a 
clerk  in  a  shoe  house.  His  advancement  was  in  proportion  to  his  remark- 
able ambition  and  industry,  and  for  nearly  forty  years  the  firm  of  R.  H. 
Fyfe  &  Company  had  a  standing  in  the  shoe  business  second  to  none. 
All  his  successes  have  been  worthily  won  and  the  prosperity  which  his 
city  has  conferred  upon  him  he  has  in  many  ways  returned  in  disinter- 
ested and  efficient  citizenship. 

Richard  Henry  Fyfe  was  born  at  Oak  Orchard,  Orleans  county. 
New  York,  January  5,  1839,  a  son  of  Claudius  Liucius  and  Abigail  (Gil- 
bert) Fyfe.  The  paternal  ancestry  goes  back  to  sturdy  and  earnest 
Scotch  and  the  great-grandfather  was  John  Fiffe,  of  Fififeshire,  Scotland. 
Grandfather  John  Fyfe  w-as  the  first  to  adopt  the  present  spelling  of 
the  name.  Grandfather  Fyfe  was  born  and  reared  in  Fiffeshire.  where 
he  received  excellent  educational  advantages  as  measured  by  the  stand- 
ards of  that  time.  In  1775.  the  year  in  which  the  American  Revolution 
began,  he  crossed  the  ocean  and  settled  near  Boston.  Not  long  after- 
wards he  volunteered  for  service  in  a  Alassachusetts  regiment,  took  part 
in  the  activities  about  Boston  during  the  siege,  and  was  a  patriotic  sol- 
dier, especially  during  the  early  years  of  the  war.  John  Fyfe  was  a  young 
man  when  he  came  to  America,  and  on  February  i,  1786,  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Strong.  Her  ancestor,  John  Strong,  was  the  founder  of  Dor- 
chester, Massachusetts,  having  emigrated  from  England  in  1730.  The 
Strong  family  has  been  one  of  special  distinction  in  connection  with 
American  history,  and  it  has  been  said  "few  families  have  had  more 
educated  or  professional  men  among  them."  Soon  after  his  marriage 
John  Fyfe  moved  to  Salisbury,  Addison  county,  \^ermont,  where  he  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  and  lived  there  until  his  death  on  January  I,  1813. 
His  noble  wife  survived  him  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  until  Novem- 
ber, 1835.  They  became  the  parents  of  four  sons  and  three  daughters, 
and  the  youngest  was  Claudius  Liucius. 

Claudius  Liucius  Fyfe,  born  in  Addison  county,  Vermont,  January 
3,  1798,  was  reared  in  a  pioneer  time  and  community,  and  his  education 
was  limited.  He  possessed  the  fine  mentality  which  has  been  characteris- 
tic of  the  familv,  and  throughout  his  career  was  always  considered  a 
man  of  exceptional  attainments  in  both  mind  and  character.  He  was  mar- 
ried on  April  6,  1825,  at  Brandon,  Vermont,  to  Miss  .\higail  Gilbert, 
whose  parents  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  Genesee  county.  New 
York.  Mr.  Fyfe  continued  a  Vermont  farmer  until  1830,  then  brought 
his  family  to  Knowlesville,  Orleans  county.  New  York,  afterwards  re- 
siding in  Chautauqua  county  in  the  same  state.  In  1837.  the  year  of 
Michigan's  admission  into  the  Union,  he  brought  his  family,  but  remained 
only  a  short  time.  His  experience  in'  Michigan  was  sufficient  to  create 
a  well  defined  longing  for  the  west,  and  only  a  short  time  passed  before 
he  finally  severed  his  ties  with  New  York  State,  and  became  permanently 
identified  with  Michigan.     He  settled  at  Hillsdale,  where  he  lived  a  long 


1828  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

and  useful  career  until  his  death  in  1881,  when  more  than  eighty  years 
of  age.  He  contributed  much  to  the  development  and  progress  of  his 
county,  and  was  a  man  of  prominence  and  influence.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  conducted  a  tannery,  and  owned  large  quantities  of  agricultural 
land  in  Hillsdale  county.  His  wife  died  in  ^lichigan  in  1848.  Both 
-  were  consistent  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Their  children 
comprised  five  daughters  and  one  son^  the  only  survivor  being  Richard 
H.     His  sister  Jennie,  died  October  20,  1913. 

Richard  Henry-  Fyfe  was  an  infant  when  brought  to  Michigan,  and 
all  his  early  years  were  spent  in  Hillsdale  county  at  the  village  of  Litch- 
field. When  he  was  eleven  years  old  his  father  met  financial  reverses, 
which  placed  the  family  in  somewhat  straitened  circumstances,  and 
the  only  son  at  that  age  had  to  take  up  the  serious  responsibilities  of  self- 
support.  His  first  employment  was  in  a  drug  store  conducted  by  Mott 
Brothers  at  Hillsdale,  and  he  had  a  previous  experience  with  a  drug 
house  at  Kalamazoo.  Thus  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Fyfe's  residence  in 
Detroit  was  in  the  year  1857.  j\Ir.  T.  K.  Adams  was  at  that  time  pro- 
prietor of  a  boot  and  shoe  store,  and  hired  young  Fyfe  as  a  clerk.  Though 
his  hours  were  long,  there  was  much  time  when  he  was  not  engaged  in 
waiting  on  trade  and  performing  other  duties,  and  he  utilized  this  leisure 
by  close  reading  and  study,  and  in  this  way  educated  himself,  and  among 
his  associates  has  never  been  considered  in  any  wise  deficient  in  educa- 
tional equipment.  After  six  years  with  I\Ir.  Adams,  the  young  clerk 
took  a  similar  place  with  the  firm  of  Rucker  &  Morgan,  in  the  same  line 
of  merchandise.  He  was  an  industrious  worker  and  frugal  in  his  living 
and  habits,  and  by  his  economical  diligence,  'by  1865,  was  able  to  pur- 
chase the  stock  and  business  of  C.  C.  Tyler  &  Company,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded his  original  employer,  Mr.  Adams.  The  establishment  was  at 
loi  W'oodward  avenue,  and  at  this  location  a  factory  building  was  located 
in  1875  to  afford  adequate  facilities  for  the- large  trade  which  Mr.  Fyfe 
had  built  up  through  his  fair  and  honorable  dealing  and  careful  service. 
His  record  from  1865,  was  one  of  solid  and  consecutive  growth,  and  for 
many  years  he  has  stood  at  the  head  of  the  custom  and  retail  shoe  trade 
in  the  Michigan  metropolis.  In  1881  he  purchased  the  boot  and  shoe 
establishment  of  A.  R.  Morgan  at  106  Woodward  avenue,  and  for  some 
time  conducted  that  as  a  branch  of  his  other  store.  In  1885  he  established 
the  present  store  at  185  Woodward  avenue.  Since  1875  the  business  has 
been  conducted  under  the  title  of  R.  H.  Fyfe  &  Company,  and  while  Mr. 
Fyfe  has  had  able  assistance,  the  growth  and  solid  success  of  the  enter- 
prise has  been  due  almost  entirely  to  his  own  efforts  and  able  manage- 
ment. In  its  equipment  and  facilities,  the  Fyfe  establishment  has  no 
superior  in  Detroit,  and  thousands  of  customers  in  Detroit  have  for  years 
regularly  patronized  this  store,  their  continuous  custom  being  the  high- 
est possible  compliment  that  could  be  paid  to  the  fidelity  and  service 
rendered  by  Mr.  Fyfe  as  a  merchant. 

Successful  as  a  business  man  Air.  Fyfe  has  never  been  content  with 
the  more  selfish  enjoyment  of  his  success,  and  has  always  been  a  liberal 
and  public-spirited  citizen,  and  has  done  all  in  his  power  to  further  the 
civic  and  industrial  progress  of  his  home  city.  He  was  one  of  those 
primarily  concerned  in  the  organization  of  the  Citizens  Savings  Bank 
in  1890,  and  served  as  its  vice  president  until  1898,  at  which  time  he  was 
elected  president,  and  continued  until  the  bank  was  consolidated  with  the 
Dime  Savings  Bank,  of  which  he  is  now  a  director.  For  several  years 
Mr.  Fyfe  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  ^Michigan 
Medical  College  and  assisted  in  consolidating  the  institution  with  the 
Detroit  Medical  College  under  the  title  of  the  Michigan  College  of  Medi- 
cine.    He  has  since  served  as  trustee  of  the  latter  institution,  which  is 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1829 

now  one  of  the  splendid  educational  centers  of  Michigan.  Among  other 
interests  Mr.  Fyfe  is  the  owner  of  a  large  amount  of  valuable  real  estate 
in  Detroit,  and  by  improving  his  property  has  done  much  to  advance  the 
material  upbuilding  of  the  city. 

In  politics  a  Republican,  Mr.  Fyfe  has  never  been  in  any  sense  a 
politician,  though  his  equipment  for  civic  duties  have  been  broad,  and 
he  has  possessed  both  the  knowledge  of  civic  and  economics  and  the 
capacity  for  judicious  action  which  constitutes  the  ideal  citizen  of  a 
democracy.  ^Ir.  and  Mrs.  Fyfe  attend  St.  Paul's  church,  Protestant 
Episcopal,  of  which  Mrs.  Fyfe  is  a  member.  For  a  number  of  years 
Mr.  Fyfe  was  a  member  and  also  president  of  the  Detroit  City  Lighting 
Commission,  and  was  president  of  the  commission  when  the  present 
lighting  plant  was  constructed.  At  one  time  he  served  as  president  of 
the  Detroit  Municipal  League,  which  rendered  most  valuable  service  in 
the  cause  of  good  municipal  government.  Mr.  Fyfe  has  membership 
in  the  local  organization  of  the  New  England  Society,  and  the  Sons  of 
the  American  Revolution,  having  been  president  of  the  former,  and  was 
president  of  the  latter  in  1908.  He  belongs  to  the  Detroit  Board  of 
Commerce,  and  has  membership  in  the  Detroit  Club,  the  Lake  St.  Clair 
Shooting  and  Fishing  Club,  commonly  known  as  the  Old  Club,  and  his 
name  is  associated  with  other  civic  and  social  organizations  in  the  city. 

On  October  27,  1868,  he  married  Miss  Abby  Lucretia  Albee  Rice, 
who  was  born  at  Marlborough,  Middlesex  county,  ^lassachusetts,  where 
her  father,  Abraham  W.  Rice,  was  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen. 
Mrs.  Fyfe  for  manv  years  has  been  a  leader  in  church,  charitable,  benevo- 
lent and  social  activities  in  Detroit,  and  her  beautiful  home  is  recognized 
as  a  center  for  the  cultured  and  refined  activities  of  Detroit  society.  She 
has  been  vice-regent  of  the  Society  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American 
Revolution,  and  was  at  one  time  regent  of  the  Detroit  chapter  of  that 
order.  For  some  time  she  was  vice-president  of  the  Thompson  Old 
Ladies  Home,  one  of  the  noble  institutions  of  Detroit,  and  for  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century  an  honorary  member  of  the  governing  board 
of  the  Protestant  Orphans  Home,  of  which  for  several  years  she  was 
secretary.  A  number  of  her  ancestors  were  soldiers  in  the  Continental 
lines  during  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  this  fact  and  her  own  actual 
interest  in  such  matters  has  caused  her  to  be  a  thorough  student  of  early 
American  annals.  She  was  at  one  time  president  of  the  Michigan  organi- 
zation of  Mount  Vernon  Society,  a  society  which  is  credited  with  having 
preserved  the  old  homestead  of  General  Washington.  She  was  for  a  time 
president  of  the  Michigan  branch  of  the  society,  and  has  also  been  presi- 
dent of  the  Detroit  Society  of  Colonial  Dames.  [Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fyfe  have 
no  children. 

William  R.  Brown.  Though  the  late  William  R.  Brown  reached 
the  unusual  age  of  ninety-two  years,  it  is  a  fact  worthy  of  mention  that 
up  to  a  very  few  months  prior  to  his  passing,  he  was  to  be  found  daily 
at  his  desk,  directing  the  affairs  of  his  insurance  business  at  his  office 
in  Jackson.  In  May,  1911,  the  state  of  his  health  grew  to  be  so  unsatis- 
factory that  he  settled  up  his  affairs,  sold  his  business,  and  retired. 
He  passed  away  at  his  home  on  October  13,  iQii,  and  there  were  and  yet 
are,  many  who  mourn  his  loss  from  their  midst. 

William  R.  Brown  was  born  in  Stratford,  New  Hampshire,  on 
December  14,  1819.  and  had  his  education  in  Lancaster  Academy.  In 
the  year  1856  he  first  embarked  in  the  insurance  business,  devoting  him- 
self to  fire  and  marine  lines,  and  locating  in  Boston,  ]\Iassachusetts._  He 
advanced  rapidly  in  insurance  circles,  and  later  on  he  was  appointed 
president  of  the' National  Insurance  Company  of  Jersey  City,  New  Jer- 


1830  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

sey.  He  continued  at  the  head  of  that  company  mitil  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  War,  when  he  was  appointed  to  the  post  of  agent  to  care  for 
the  wounded  soldiers  sent  from  the  front  to  their  homes.  He  had  his 
headquarters  at  Washington,  D.  C,  and  it  is  of  record  that  because  of 
his  humane  and  kindly  disposition  he  was  regarded  by  the  authorities  as 
a  most  valuable  man  in  that  capacity.  He  continued  to  so  serve  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  came  to  Jackson,  ^Michigan,  and  this  city 
was  the  scene  of  his  activities  from  then  until  death  claimed  him. 

Mr.  Brown  witnessed  the  growth  of  this  now  thriving  city  from  a 
small  village,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  he  performed  the  full 
share  of  one  man  towards  the  growth  and  upbuilding  of  the  city,  and 
that  a  generous  measure  of  credit  is  due  him  today  as  one  who  lived 
with  the  best  interests  of  the  city  ever  at  his  heart. 

Practically  all  his  later  life  .Mr.  Brown  was  a  consistent  and  earnest 
Democrat,  and  when  he  was  nominated  for  the  office  of  sheriff  in  1872, 
he  was  elected  by  a  pleasing  majority,  though  1872  was  a  banner  year 
for  the  Republican  party  in  Jackson,  and  throughout  the  whole  country. 
In  1872  he  was  re-nominated  and  again  he  had  a  victor>'  that  was  a  per- 
sonal tribute  to  his  popularity  as  a  man  and  citizen.  In  later  years  his 
party  on  many  occasions  urged  him  to  stand  for  elections  to  various  offices 
but  Mr.  Brown  never  would  permit  his  name  to  stand  again.  He 
never  regarded  his  political  victories  as  in  any  way  reflecting  especial 
credit  upon  himself,  and  always  felt  that  any  other  Democrat  would 
have  the  same  chance  at  the  polls, — a  supposition  that  actual  happenings 
failed  to  substantiate  on  many  occasions. 

In  1879  Mr.  Brown  engaged  in  the  fire  insurance  business  in  Jack- 
son, and  he  continued  in  that  field  with  all  success  for  more  than  thirty- 
two  vears,  or  until  the  infirmities  attendant  upon  his  age  compelled  him 
to  withdraw  from  business,  as  already  stated. 

Few  men  in  Jackson  were  more  popular  than  was  Mr.  Brown.  He 
was  a  whole-souled  and  genial  man,  generous  and  kind,  and  he  was  one 
to  whom  an  appeal  for  aid  never  went  unnoticed. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  on  April  20,  1845, 
to  Mary  M.  Hadley,  who  survived  him  for  a  brief  time,  passing  away 
on  Christmas  day,  1912.  when  she  was  eighty-seven  years  of  age.  They 
had  lived  together  in  wedded  happiness  for  more  than  sixty  years,  and 
celebrated  their  sixtieth  wedding  anniversary  in  1905.  Their  only  living 
child  is  Mrs.  W.  D.  Ford,  of  this  city.  ^Mrs.  Georgina  Brown  Ford  was 
born  in  the  old  Marlborough  Hotel  in  Boston,  on  March  30,  1846,  and  she 
was  nineteen  years  of  age  when  she  accompanied  her  parents  to  Jack- 
son. This  city  has  represented  her  home  from  then  to  the  present  time. 
Her  marriage  to  Whitman  D.  Ford  occurred  in  1863,  and  concerning 
that  worthy  gentleman,  who  died  on  October  12,  1907,  brief  mention  is 
here  made  as  follows:  Whitman  D.  Ford  was  born  at  Colerain,  Massa- 
chusetts, on  April  30,  1838.  but  in  early  life  moved  to  Saratoga  county. 
New  York,  where  he  spent  several  years.  In  1863  he  married  Miss 
Georgina  Brown,  then  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  one  year  later  they 
came  to  Jackson,  which  city  continued  to  be  their  home. 

Mr.  Ford  was  an  expert  bookkeeper  in  his  youth,  and  not  long  after 
he  came  to  Jackson  he  associated  himself  with  the  music  house  of  R.  D. 
Bullock,  where  he  continued  as  auditor  and  general  accountant  for  more 
than  twenty  years.  He  spent  thirteen  years  in  South  Dakota,  looking 
after  some  mining  properties  in  which  he  had  an  interest,  and  finally 
returning  to  Jackson,  where  he  took  up  his  residence  again,  and  con- 
tinuing here  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

Four  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Airs.  Ford, — William  R..  who 
died  in   1868:  Samuel  W.,  a  resident  of  Chicago;  Frank  C,  who  sue- 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1831 

ceeded  to  his  grandfather's  business  in  this  city,  and  Mrs.  \V.  W.  Todd, 
also  a  resident  of  Jackson. 

Mr.  Ford  was  sixt_v-nine  years  of  age  when  he  passed  away,  and  a 
residence  of  more  than  forty  years  within  the  city  had  been  sufficient  to 
estabhsh  him  firmly  in  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  best  people  of 
the  community.  His  widow  has  a  host  of  genuine  friends  in  and  about 
Jackson,  and  other  members  of  the  family  here  resident  have  prominent 
places  in  the  business  and  social  life  of  the  city. 

John  H.  Johnson.  President  of  the  Peninsular  State  Bank  of  De- 
troit, John  H.  Johnson  has  been  identified  with  that  one  institution  for 
twenty-five  years,  covering  almost  the  entire  period  of  its  existence,  and 
his  progress  has  taken  him  from  teller  to  executive  head.  He  is  one  of 
Detroit's  best  known  bankers  and  business  men. 

Born  in  Detroit  March  i8,  i860,  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Ann  (Dolan) 
Johnson,  early  residents  of  Detroit,  his  youth  was  spent  in  his  native  city, 
and  both  public  and  private  schools  supplied  his  early  education.  In 
1879  he  found  his  first  place  in  the  business  world  as  an  employee  of  a 
wholesale  dry  goods  house,  and  was  with  that  firm  for  ten  years.  In 
1889  the  Peninsular  State  Bank,  which  had  been  only  recently  organized, 
made  Air.  Johnson  its  teller,  and  since  then  his  promotion  has  been 
steadily  upward.  In  1891  he  was  made  assistant  cashier,  became  cashier 
in  1806,  and  since  1907  has  had  the  executive  management  of  the  bank 
as  its  president. 

Mr.  lohnson  is  also  a  director  of  the  Security  Trust  Company  of 
Detroit,  and  a  director  in  the  River  Rouge  Savings  and  Dearborn  State 
Banks.  In  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce  he  has  served  both  as  a 
director  and  as  treasurer,  and  has  a  large  acquaintance  among  the  mem- 
bers of  the  American  Bankers  Association,  in  which  organization  he  has 
served  as  president  of  the  Savings  Bank  Section,  and  also  on  the  execu- 
tive committee.  His  social  relations  are  with  the  Detroit  Club,  the  De- 
troit Golf  Club,  the  Detroit  Fishing  and  Hunting  Club,  and  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  his  church  being  the  Catholic.  On  May  26,  1886,  Mr. 
Johnson  married  Miss  Frances  M.  AIcGrath  of  Detroit,  who  died  in 
October,  191 2.     One  daughter  was  born  of  that  union,  Grace  E. 

J.\MEs  Carey.  The  life  record  of  the  late  James  Carey  is  that  of  a 
man  who  worked  his  way  upward  through  the  medium  of  his  own  exer- 
tions, and  whose  rise  was  aided  by  no  fortuitious  chance  or  circumstance. 
His  life  was  one  of  industry  and  perseverance,  and  for  many  years  he 
was  one  of  the  most  trusted  employes  of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad, 
and  was  equally  prominent  as  an  influential  representative  of  that  power- 
ful organization,  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers.  In  Jackson, 
where  Air.  Carey  made  his  home  for  nearly  thirty-seven  years,  he  is 
remembered  as  a  loval  and  public-spirited  citizen,  who  took  an  interest  in 
the  growth  and  development  of  his  city,  and  who  at  all  times  proved  him- 
self an  excellent  neighbor  and  a  loyal  friend. 

Mr.  Carey  was  born  July  27,  1847.  and  the  greater  part  of  his  boy- 
hood was  spent  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin.  His  educational  advantages 
were  not  numerous  nor  extensive,  for  when  still  a  lad  he  laid  aside  his 
books  to  enter  upon  his  career  as  a  railroad  man,  liis  first  occupation 
being  that  of  newsboy,  on  trains  plying  between  Alihvaukee  and  Chicago. 
Later,  when  he  had  grown  to  sturdy  young  manhood,  he  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  locomotive  fireman,  from  which  capacity  he  rose  to  engineer  on 
a  switch  engine  in  the  Chicago  yards,  and  in  1871  came  to  Jackson,  Michi- 
gan, having  secured  a  position  as  engineer  on  the  Michigan  Central  Rail- 
road.    For  thirtv  years  Mr.   Carey  handled  the  throttle  for  this  road, 


1832  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

first  on  freight  engines  and  later  on  a  passenger  locomotive,  his  run 
being  principally  between  Michigan  City,  Indiana,  and  Jackson,  Michi- 
gan. In  Sejnember,  1903,  after  a  long,  faithfnl  and  honorable  ser\-ice, 
he  was  retired  by  his  company  with  a  pension  of  fifty  dollars  per  month. 
From  that  time  forward  he  continued  to  live  a  quiet,  luieventful  life 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  June  30,  1908.  Air.  Carey  was  a  promi- 
nent Alason,  having  risen  to  the  Knight  Templar  degree,  and  also  be- 
longed to  the  Order  of  Eastern  Star.  He  early  became  prominent  in  the 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers,  and  his  abilities  were  soon  recog- 
nized by  his  election  to  offices  of  trust  and  responsibility.  For  a  long 
period  he  was  chairman  of  the  general  adjustment  board  of  all  the  New 
York  Central  lines,  was  chairman  of  the  grievance  committee  of  the  local 
division  of  the  Brotherhood  for  many  years,  and  on  numerous  occasions 
was  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  national  conventions  of  that  body.  A  stanch 
Democrat  in  his  political  vie\vs,  he  was  always  a  hard  worker  in  behalf 
of  his  party,  and  served  two  terms  as  alderman  from  the  Sixth  Ward. 

On  January  i,  1877,  he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Annie  Jones,  then  of 
Jackson.  Alichigan,  but  formerly  of  Homer,  Michigan.  She  was  born 
Annie  Mills,  near  Hillsdale,  Michigan,  January  31,  1847,  the  daughter  of 
Orrin  and  Sarah  (Westfall)  Mills.  Her  father,  a  farmer,  was  born  in 
New  York  state,  but  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Homer  and  near 
Hillsdale  and  Albion,  ^Michigan.  He  died  at  the  home  of  ]\Irs.  Carey, 
in  Jackson,  December  9,  1878,  and  the  mother  also  passed  away  at  the 
home  of  her  daughter,  October  29,  1909.  By  her  first  husband,  William 
Jones,  ]\Irs.  Carey  had  one  daughter,  Alary  R.,  now  the  wife  of  Malcolm 
L.  Alinkler,  of  Jackson,  and  the  mother  of  one  son,  James  Edgar  Alinkler, 
aged  twenty-two  years.  There  were  no  children  bom  to  Mr.  and  Airs. 
Carey.  Airs.  Carey,  who  surv^ives  her  husband,  is  well  known  in  Jackson, 
residing  at  No.  1015  East  Alain  street,  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  East- 
ern Star  and  of  the  Ladies'  Auxiliary  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Engineers. 

Louis  B.  King.  Of  names  that  have  been  closely  associated  with  the 
business  enterprise  of  Detroit  during  the  past  seventy  years  few  are 
better  known  and  have  a  higher  standing  in  business  and  trade  circles 
than  that  of  King.  The  L.  B.  King  &  Company  is  the  largest  glass  and 
china  house  in  the  city  of  Detroit,  and  the  father  of  the  president  of 
the  company  laid  the  foundation  of  the  business  many  years  ago  in 
this  city.  Louis  B.  King  was  born  in  Detroit  on  December  4,  1851,  a 
son  of  the  late  Robert  W.  King.  The  King  family  has  been  in  America 
for  more  than  a  century  and  a  half,  and  originated  in  the  north  of 
Ireland.  From  that  country  in  1756  came  over  the  first  American  an- 
cestor, Robert  King,  who  settled  in  Northumberland  county,  Penn- 
sylvania. Later  he  took  part  on  the  American  side  in  the  war  of  the 
Revolution,  first  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant  and  later  as  captain.  Robert 
King  had  a  forte  as  a  skillful  dealer  and  negotiator  with  the  Indian 
tribes,  and  exercised  much  influence  over  them.  For  his  services  in 
forming  treaties  with  the  various  Indian  tribes  he  was  granted  a  large 
tract  of  land  by  the  government  in  Erie  county,  Pennsylvania.  He 
finally  settled  on  that  land,  and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  extreme 
northwestern  section  of  the  state.  His  body  now  rests  in  the  cemetery 
at  \^'aterford,  in  Erie  county.  A  son  of  this  American  patriot  was 
John  King,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  He  married  Charlotte  Lytle, 
and  among  their  children  was  Robert  W.  King,  father  of  Louis  B. 
Robert  W.  King  was  born  at  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  in  October.  1821, 
was  educated  at  \\'ashington  and  Jefferson  College,  and  began  his  busi- 
ness career  at  Pittsburgh.     In  1842  he  moved  west  and  established  his 


ROBERT  W  .   KING 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1833 

home  at  Detroit,  where  in  1849  he  entered  business  on  his  own  account, 
establishing  the  house  which  has  since  become  the  large  china  and  glass- 
ware firm  of  L.  B.  King  &  Company.  As  a  business  man  the  late  Robert 
King  was  for  many  years  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  successful  leaders 
in  the  local  trade.  His  life  was  equally  useful  as  a  citizen,  and  he  de- 
voted much  of  his  time  to  public  affairs,  lending  his  support  to  everv 
undertaking  designed  to  promote  the  welfare  and  larger  prosperity  of 
the  growing  city.  For  many  years  he  was  foreman  in  the  old  Fifth 
Ward  Volunteer  Engine  Company,  was  president  of  the  Young  Men's 
Society,  was  president  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Education,  president  of 
the  Detroit  Board  of  Estimates,  and  one  of  the  original  trustees  of  the 
Harper  Hospital,  being  a  member  of  the  latter  board  at  the  time  of  his 
death.     His  church  was  the  Congregational. 

The  late  Robert  W.  King  married  •Elizabeth  Buhl.  She  was  born 
in  Butler  county,  Pennsylvania,  adjoining  the  county  in  which  her  hus- 
band was  l)orn,  although  they  first  became  acquainted  in  Detroit.  Her 
residence  in  Detroit  dated  from  1836,  she  having  come  to  the  western 
city  to  attend  school,  where  she  made  her  home  with  her  brother,  the 
late  Frederick  Buhl.  Mr.  King  died  in  December,  1897,  and  his  wife 
in  December,  191 1,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 

I.ouis  B.  King  received  his  education  in  the  Detroit  public  schools, 
and  the  University  of  Michigan,  being  a  graduate  from  the  latter  with 
the  class  of  1874,  Bachelor  of  Science.  His  business  career  began  as 
soon  as  he  had  left  the  halls  of  the  State  University,  and  he  entered 
his  father's  crockery  store,  where  in  1878  he  was  taken  into  partner- 
ship. In  1894  the  business  was  incorporated  as  the  L.  B.  King  &  Com- 
pany. For  a  number  of  years  he  was  secretary  of  this  corporation,  and 
since  June,  1907,  has  been  its  president. 

In  Detroit  civic  and  social  circles  Mr.  King  is  especiall>-  well  known 
through  his  membership  in  various  organizations.  He  belongs  to  the 
Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  is  a  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon  of  the 
University  of  Michigan,  has  membership  in  the  Detroit  Athletic  Clul) 
(new),  in  the  Fellowcraft  and  Detroit  Golf  Clubs. 

On  March  14,  1883,  at  Greenwich,  New  York,  Mr.  King  married 
Miss  Jennie  Reed  Carpenter,  daughter  of  Benoni  G.  Carpenter.  For  a 
period'  of  thirty  years  her  father  was  general  agent  of  the  Home  Eife 
Insurance  Company  of  New  York  City.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  King  have 
been  born  the  following  children :  Dorothea  King,  Ralph  Benjamin 
King,  now  vice  president  of  the  L.  B.  King  &  Company :  Robert  Kent 
King,  also  connected  with  the  L.  B.  King  &  Company  ;  Janet  Elizabeth 
King;  and  Francis  Carpenter  King. 

Gideon  Vivier.  The  late  Gideon  Vivier  was  one  of  Detroit's  well- 
known  and  highly  honored  citizens  who  for  over  forty  years  was  identi- 
fied with  the  various  commercial  and  industrial  interests  of  the  city, 
but  who,  in  spite  of  the  numerous  business  activities  that  claimed  his 
attention,  found  time  to  be  a  leading  churchman,  and  a  strong  advocate 
of  temperance,  and  to  contribute  greatly  to  the  welfare  of  his  community 
in  his  work  in  moral  and  religious  causes.  Born  of  French  Roman  Catho- 
lic parents,  Mr.  Vivier  early  in  life  turned  to  the  Protestant  faith  and 
while  still  a  lad  in  his  'teens  was  converted  and  baptized  in  the  Detroit 
river,  at  the  foot  of  Hastings  street,  by  the  Rev.  R.  B.  DesRoches.  then 
home  missionary  to  the  French  people  of  this  section,  and  joined  the 
French  Baptist  church.  He  was  afterward  a  member  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist church,  but  later  in  life  became  a  member  of  Grand  River  Baptist 
church,  where,  as  deacon  and  trustee,  he  spent  over  a  quarter  of  a  century 
in  earnest  and  zealous  church  work.    Always  an  ardent  temperance  man. 


1834  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

he  became  one  of  the  early  members  of  the  prohibition  party  and  to  the 
cause  of  that  organization  gave  freely  of  his  time  and  means.  For  a 
number  of  years  his  name  always  appeared  on  that  party's  ticket  for  one 
office  or  another,  local  and  state,  not  that  he  sought  preferment  or  be- 
lieved that  he  would  be  elected,  but  from  a  sense  of  duty  to  his  principles 
and  as  an  example  an  influence  to  others.  His  was  a  strong  character  and 
during  his  long  and  useful  life  he  was  able  to  render  signal  service  to  his 
communitv  and  its  people. 

Gideon  Vivier  was  a  native  of  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  hav- 
ing been  born  at  St.  Phillipe,  near  the  city  of  Quebec,  January  3.  1836. 
When  he  was  still  a  boy  his  parents  removed  from  Canada  to  Perry's 
Mills,  on  Lake  Champla'in,  Clinton  county,  Xew  York.  His  father  and 
grandfather  before  him  had  been  brick-mason  contractors,  and  so  he 
naturally  drifted  to  that  occupation,  as  have  his  sons  and  grandsons.  In 
1852  he  went  to  Windsor,  Canada,  and  there  learned  the  brick-mason 
trade  and  worked  at  that  occupation  there  for  several  years.  Later  he 
returned  to  Pern-'s  Mills,  Xew  York,  and  there  was  married,  March  3, 
1862,  to  Miss  Clara  Hicks,  who  was  born  in  Lower  Quebec,  Canada,  in 
August,  1830.  With  their  first  two  sons,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  \'ivier  came  to  De- 
troit in  1869  and  soon  afterwards  Mr.  \'ivier  became  a  mason  contractor. 
For  nearlv  fortv  years  he  was  one  of  Detroit's  leading  contractors,  dur- 
ing which  period  he  erected  many  of  the  leading  buildings  of  the  city. 
He  retired  from  active  business  operations  in  1907,  and  died  at  his  home 
in  Detroit,  Februarv  28,  1912.  Mrs.  \"ivier  survived  him  until  March 
5th.  of  the  same  year,  when  she  followed  him,  their  deaths  occurring 
within  a  week's  time.  Gideon  \'ivier  and  his  wife  became  the  parents  of 
three  sons  and  two  daughters,  as  follows:  Walter  S..  George  A.,  and 
lohn,  who  are  all  engaged  in  contracting  in  Detroit;  Ida,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Harvey  B.  Auger,  of  this  city;  and  Ruth,  who  is  the  wife  of  George 
B.  Wadham.  Jr.,  of  Detroit. 

Walter  Samuel  \'ivier,  son  of  Gideon  and  Clara  (Hicks)  \  ivier, 
and  one  of  the  leading  contractors  of  Detroit,  was  born  at  Perry's  Mills, 
on  Lake  Champlain,  Clinton  county,  New  Y^ork,  September  6,  1863,  and 
was  a  lad  of  six  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Detroit.  Here 
he  secured  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools,  which  he  attended 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  and  then  went  to  work,  al- 
though he  still  continued  his  education  as  a  student  in  the  night  school. 
His  first  work  was  as  a  printer's  ^'devil''  in  the  offices  of  the  Michigan 
Christian  Herald,  where  he  devoted  about  two  years  to  learning  the  print- 
ing trade,  but  gave  up  his  position  there  to  become  a  parcel  boy  for 
Xewcomb,  Endicott  &  Company,  a  position  he  held  for  six  months,  at 
a  time  when  the  store  of  that  concern  w-as  located  in  the  old  opera  house 
building.  Following  this,  Mr.  \'ivier  became  a  clerk  in  the  ticket  ac- 
counting department  of  the  Michigan  Central  Railway,  where  he  re- 
mained four  or  five  years,  and  then  accepted  a  position  at  St.  Paiil, 
Minnesota,  with  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway,  spending  a  few  months  in 
that  city.  On  his  return  to  Detroit,  in  1883.  Mr.  \'ivier  began  work 
for  his  father  as  a  brick-mason,  and  two  years  later,  so  faithful  and 
industrious  had  he  been,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership,  under  the  firm 
style  of  Gideon  X'ivier  &  Son,  mason  contractors.  In  1889,  however.  Mr. 
\'ivier  entered  the  office  of  the  firm  of  Donaldson  &  IVIaier.  architects 
of  Detroit,  as  their  superintendent  of  construction,  continuing  there  five 
vears,  during  which  time  he  advanced  himself  in  the  line  of  experience 
as  a  master  builder  and  also  learned  a  good  deal  about  the  subject  of 
architecture.  ^Ir.  \'ivier  entered  upon  mason  contracting  on  his  own 
account  in  1894,  and  during  the  twenty  years  that  have  followed  he  has 
continued  to  be  so  engaged,  his  work  being  along  the  lines  of  residences, 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1835 

stores,  churches,  hotels  and  factories.  It  would  not  be  possible  in  a 
limited  sketch  of  this  character  to  enumerate  fully  the  structures  erected 
by  Air.  \"ivier,  but  among  them  may  be  mentioned  the  following:  Wel- 
lington, Manhattan,  \'alencia.  Hazard,  Sargossa,  Cromwell,  Charles, 
Prentis,  LaSalle,  LaAIotte,  Belleview,  Franklin  and  Linfield  apartment 
buildings;  Hotel  TuUer,  Hees-Macfarlane  Company,  Detroit  Lubricator 
Company,  Hayes  Manufacturing  Company,  Detroit  Foundry  Company, 
Central  Storage  Company,  National  Cutlery  Company,  E.  M.  F.  Automo- 
bile Company  and  Timken-Detroit  Axle  Company  factories.  During 
the  entire  thirty  years  that  Mr.  Vivier  has  been  engaged  in  mason  con- 
tracting he  has  advocated  the  "open  shop"  and  has  never  had  a  strike. 
He  is  a  man  of  keen  discernment,  who  readily  solves  intricate  business 
problems  and  recognizes  and  utilizes  opportunities  in  a  manner  that  has 
won  him  the  utmost  confidence  of  his  associates.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Detroit  Builders  and  Traders  Exchange,  of  which  he  is  ex-treasurer  and 
ex-director,  and  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce.  He  was 
formerly  trustee  and  treasurer  of  the  Grand  River  Baptist  church,  and 
is  now  a  member  of  the  Woodward  Avenue  Ilaptist  Church,  in  the  work 
of  which  he  has  taken  an  active  and  helpful  interest. 

Mr.  Vivier  married  Miss  Jennie  Clarke,  who  was  born  at  Aylmer, 
Ontario,  Canada,  and  they  have  two  sons :  Norman  Clarke  and  Harold 
Walter. 

John  G.  R.-ksev.  Bv  his  election  in  igi2  to  the  office  of  sheriff  of 
Newavgo  county,  John  G.  Rasey  was  confirmed  in  the  high  esteem  which 
has  long  been  accorded  him  as  a  farmer  and  business  man  of  this  part  of 
Michigan.  Mr.  Rasey  has  lived  here  nearly  all  his  life,  and  the  same 
qualities  of  efficiency  and  fairness  which  characterize  him  as  a  business 
man,  has  been  introduced  into  his  administration  in  his  present  important 
position. 

John  G.  Rasey  was  born  in  DeKalb  county,  Illinois,  October  27,  1866, 
a  son  of  John  G.  and  Eveline  (Bunce)  Rasey.  The  paternal  grandparents 
were  Joseph  and  Phoebe  (Green)  Rasey,  natives  of  New  York,  who 
aftervvard  moved  out  to  Illinois,  where  Grandfather  Rasey  died  at  the 
extreme  age  of  ninety-nine  years,  while  his  wife  attained  the  venerable 
age  of  ninety  vears.  He  was  a  substantial  farmer  during  his  active  life. 
Grandfather'  Bunce  was  born  in  New  York,  was  a  farmer  in  that  state, 
and  married  Lovina  (Oatman)  who  survived  him  and  lived  to  the  age  of 
ninetv.  John  G.  Rasey,  Sr.,  who  was  born  in  New  York,  June  9,  1823, 
is  still  living,  past  ninety,  and  makes  his  home  alternately  in  the  city  of 
Chicago,  and  at  White  Cloud,  with  his  son.  The  mother  was  born  Aug- 
ust 9,  1838,  and  died  July  12,  1894,  having  been  killed  in  an  accident 
caused  by  a  runaway  horse.  After  their  marriage  in  New  York,  the 
parents  moved  out  to  Illinois  in  1864,  settling  on  a  rented  farm,  and  the 
father  managed  the  place,  and  at  the  same  time  taught  school.  In  1872 
he  moved  to  Michigan,  buying  a  farm  near  Fremont,  and  continued  his 
work  as  a  teacher  and  farm'er  for  many  years.  He  was  active  in  the  Bap- 
tist church,  and  superintendent  of  Sunday  School  work,  was  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  for  manv  years  held  the  offfce  of  justice  of  the  peace,  and  was 
township  commissioner  of  schools  for  a  long  time.  He  and  his  wife  had 
twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living,  and  John  G.  Rasey,  Jr.,  is  the 
sixth  in  order  of  birth. 

Sheriff  Rasey  grew  up  in  the  states  of  Illinois  and  Michigan,  getting 
most  of  his  education  while  a  boy  on  the  home  farm  near  Fremont.  The 
first  seventeen  years  of  his  life  was  spent  on  a  farm,  and  he  then,  as  a 
result  of  natural  aptitude  and  inclination  went  into  the  stock  business, 
and  soon  developed  a  large  custom  in  the  buying  and  shipping  of  live 


1836  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

stock.  That  was  his  steady  vocation  for  fifteen  years.  Mr.  Rasey  owns 
property  in  Fremont,  and  his  career  has  been  one  of  successful  achieve- 
ment. Since  his  election  to  the  office  of  sheriff  in  1912  on  the  Republican 
ticket,  he  has  given  all  his  time  to  his  official  duties.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  has  been  a  worker  for  the  Republican  party,  and  fraternally  is 
affiliated  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  IMethodist  church  at  White  Cloud.  In  1895  'Sir.  Rasey 
married  Miss  Alice  Tibbitts.  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Lucinda  Tib- 
bitts.  Her  father  was  born  in  Canada,  and  her  mother  in  Pennsylvania, 
but  lived  in  Michigan  as  substantial  farming  people  for  half  a  century. 

John  J.  SiiOLENSKi.  It  is  a  rare  occurrence  for  a  young  attorney 
entering  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  to  achieve  instantaneous  and 
striking  success.  The  path  that  leads  to  a  large  and  representative  prac- 
tice is  in  the  great  majority  of  cases  a  long,  w^eary  and  tortuous  one.  But 
each  rule  has  its  exceptions.  The  young  attorney  whose  career  is  briefly 
sketched  in  this  review,  John  J.  Smolenski,  although  one  of  the  younger 
members  of  the  bar  of  Grand  Rapids,  has,  nevertheless,  in  the  few  brief 
years  that  he  has  practiced  his  calling,  attained  an  eminence  that  places 
him  well  in  the  van  as  a  prominent  and  successful  legist. 

Mr.  Smolenski  was  born  in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  May  18,  1888, 
and  is  a  son  of  Stanley  and  Rose  (Cukerski)  Smolenski,  natives  respec- 
tively of  Russian  Poland  and  German  Poland,  both  born  in  1859.  They 
were  married  in  German  Poland  in  1887,  and  in  the  following  year  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States,  settling  in  Grand  Rapids,  where  Stanley 
Smolenski  has  since  been  engaged  in  cabinet-making.  Airs.  Smolenski 
died  in  1S95,  having  been  the  mother  of  three  children:  John  J.;  Cas- 
meria,  who  is  the  wife  of  W.  J.  Jarka,  of  Alanistee,  Michigan ;  and 
Michael  S.,  who  is  successfully  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Grand 
Rapids.  The  father  is  a  faithful  member  of  St.  Adalbert's  Polish  Catho- 
lic church,  in  the  faith  of  which  the  children  w-ere  reared. 

Like  his  brother  and  sister,  John  J.  Smolenski  was  granted  good  edu- 
cational advantages  by  a  father  who  realized  the  benefits  to  be  derived 
from  thorough  schooling.  After  completing  the  prescribed  course  in  the 
grammar  schools  of  Grand  Rapids,  he  entered  the  high  school  here,  and 
when  he  graduated,  in  1906.  expressed  a  predilection  for  the  law  as  the 
field  in  which  to  work  out  his  life's  success.  Accordingly,  he  was  sent  to 
the  University  of  Michigan,  from  the  law  department  of  which  institu- 
tion he  was  graduated  in  1910,  and  at  once  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and 
began  his  practice  in  the  city  prosecutor's  office.  Since  that  time  he  has 
acted  in  the  capacity  of  assistant  prosecuting  attorney,  a  capacity  in 
which  he  has  been  connected  with  a  number  of  important  cases  of  juris- 
prudence. Mr.  .Smolensk!  has  one  of  the  largest  Polish  practices  in  the 
western  part  of  Michigan.  Even  before  he  had  completed  his  law  course 
in  the  universitv  he  began  accepting  cases  from  Polish  clients,  giving  ad- 
vice and  counsel,  and  settling  their  minor  difficulties  in  a  manner  that  won 
him  the  universal  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  people  of  this  race.  The 
Polish  practice  of  the  cities  of  Ludington.  Alanistee.  Grand  Rapids  and 
numerous  other  cities  of  Western  Michigan  is  given  to  him,. but,  while  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  is  given  to  this,  he  also  has  an  excellent  profes- 
sional business  with  people  of  other  races.  He  has  w'on  the  wholesome 
respect  of  his  fellow-memljers  at  the  bar  in  a  number  of  hard-fought  cases, 
not  alone  by  reason  of  his  Ijroad  knowledge  and  inherent  ability,  but  be- 
cause of  his  strict  adherence  to  the  unw-ritten  ethics  of  his  calling. 

Mr.  Smolenski  is  a  Republican,  but  his  only  public  office  has  been 
that  which  he  now  holds.  He  takes  a  keen  and  active  interest  in  all  that 
affects  the  w-elfare  of  his  native  citv  and  has  been  able  to  contribute 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1837 

helpfully  to  its  prosperity.  Fraternally,  he  is  connected  with  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  and  he  also  holds  membership  in  the  Grand  Rapids  Boat 
and  Canoe  Club  of  this  city,  while  his  religious  affiliation  is  with  the 
Catholic  church.     Mr.  Smolenski  is  unmarried. 

Louis  Larsen.  The  hardest  kind  of  manual  labor  introduced  the 
career  of  Mr.  Larsen  in  Newaygo  county,  and  having  demonstrated  his 
ability  to_  earn  an  honest  living  he  subsequently  became  a  source  in  busi- 
ness affairs  and  also  in  community  life,  and  in  addition  to  the  acquisition 
of  much  property  is  the  honored  incumbent  of  the  office  of  postmaster 
at  Newaygo  and  has  held  other  positions  of  trust  from  his  fellow  citizens. 

Louis  Larsen  is  a  native  of  Denmark,  born  at  Aalbok,  July  7,  1864. 
His  father  was  Lars  Christensen,  and  after  the  fashion  of  "that  country 
the^  son  took  his  father's  first  name  with  the  addition  of  the  suffix  indi- 
cating that  he  is  a  son  of  Lars.  The  mother's  name  was  Lena  Christen- 
sen. Both  parents  were  born  and  spent  all  their  lives  in  Denmark  where 
the  father  was  a  farmer,  and  it  is  an  interesting  fact  that  for  many  years 
he  held  the  postoffice  at  Aalbok.  They  were  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  and  the  father  was  a  man  of  considerable  means.  They  had 
four  children,  Louis  being  the  youngest.  Anna  is  married  and  lives  in 
Denmark ;  Christian  is  also  in  Denmark ;  and  Hans  remains  in  his  native 
land. 

Louis  Larsen  had  such  educational  opportunities  as  are  presented  to 
the  average  Danish  youth,  finishing  his  studies  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
and  then  beginning  work  under  his  father  in  the  postoffice.  After  four 
years  in  that  service,  he  attempted  to  join  the  army,  but  his  services  were 
not  accepted  and  hoping  to  find  better  opportunities  in  the  new  world, 
he  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  nineteen  and  settled  at  Newaygo.  He 
found  employment  in  the  lumber  yards,  and  also  for  a  time  cut  logs  in 
the  woods.  A  number  of  years  were  spent  in  various  operations  of  lum- 
bering, and  gradually  he  worked  himself  to  places  of  larger  responsibili- 
ties. He  became  assistant  superintendent  of  a  cement  plant,  and  for 
some  time  had  charge  of  the  Converse  Manufacturing  Company.  Some 
seven  or  eight  years  were  spent  in  the  cement  business,  and  he  then  en- 
gaged in  the  produce,  coal,  flour,  feed  trade,  which  he  developed  to 
prosperous  proportions.  While  Mr.  Larsen  came  to  Newaygo  with  only 
three  dollars  in  cash  capital,  he  has  been  steadily  forging  to  the  front, 
and  now  has  varied  interests  in  local  properties  and  atlairs.  He  has 
served  as  city  clerk  and  township  clerk,  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  since 
1909  has  held  the  office  of  postmaster.  He  has  been  one  of  the  leaders 
in  Republican  politics  in  Xewaygo  county. 

In  1S84  Mr.  Larsen  married  Lena  Larsen,  who  was  born  in  Denmark. 
They  were  married  at  Newaygo  and  have  become  the  parents  of  three 
children :  Charles,  who  is  an  electrician,  living  at  Grand  Rapids ;  Arthur, 
who  is  bookkeeper  and  has  charge  of  a  collecting  agency  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, California ;  Laura,  clerk  in  the  postoffice  under  her  father.  The 
father  attended  the  Lutheran  church  and  Mr.  Larsen  is  affiliated  with 
Newaygo  Lodge,  No.  131,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  with  the  Modern  \\'oodmen 
of  America. 

John  W.  Fifield.  A  popular  and  able  representative  of  the  news- 
paper fraternity  in  Kent  county,  Mr.  Fifield  is  editor  and  publisher  of 
the  Sparta  Scnt'mcl-Lcadcr,  which  proves  an  eft'ective  exponent  of  local 
interests  and  is  one  of  the  model  weekly  papers  of  the  state  of  Michigan. 
Mr.  Fifield  is  known  as  one  of  the  most  loyal  and  public-spirited  citizens 
of  the  village  of  Sparta,  and  there  he  has  exerted  most  benignant  in- 
fluence in  the  furtherance  of  enterprises  and  measures  that  have  con- 


1838  •  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

served  the  best  interests  of  the  commuity.  He  is  a  practical  newspaper 
man  of  varied  experience  and  through  his  own  efforts,  in  connection  with 
the  "art  preservative  of  all  arts,"  he  has  achieved  definite  and  worthy 
success. 

Mr.  Fifield  is  a  native  of  the  fine  old  Wolverine  State  and  is  a  scion 
of  one  of  its  honored  pioneer  families,  the  while  these  conditions  have 
intensified  his  loyalty  to  and  appreciation  of  this  favored  commonwealth. 
He  was  born  in  Macomb  county,  Michigan,  on  the  13th  of  June,  1867, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Abigail  (Knappj  Fifield,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  New  Hampshire,  where  they  were  born  and  reared  and  where 
their  marriage  was  solemnized,  the  respective  families,  of  English  origin, 
having  been  founded  in  New  England  in  the  colonial  era  of  our  national 
history.  Soon  after  his  marriage  John  Fifield  came  to  Michigan  and 
established  his  home  at  Memphis,  Macomb  county,  near  which  village  he 
became  the  owner  of  a  tract  of  land  which  he  developed  into  one  of  the 
valuable  farms  of  that  section  of  the  state.  He  continued  to  reside  in 
Macomb  county  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1873,  the  year  of  his 
nativity  having  been  1827,  as  was  it  also  that  of  his  wife.  Mrs.  Fifield 
long  survived  her  honored  husband  and  was  eighty-one  years  of  age  at 
the  time  of  her  death,  in  1908.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  his  political  pro- 
clivities and  both  he  and  his  wife  were  zealous  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational church.  Of  their  eight  children  four  are  living.  Alma  E.  is 
the  wife  of  Bela  W.  Jenks,  who  is  a  representative  citizen  of  Harbor 
Springs,  Michigan,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  banking  and  the  mercan- 
tile business;  Franc  C.  is  the  widow  of  D.  L.  Van  Marter,  and  resides  in 
the  city  of  Detroit;  and  Addie  is  the  wife  of  Frederick  H.  Krause,  of 
Bellefontaine,  Ohio,  her  husband  being  superintendent  of  an  electrical 
company  in  that  and  two  other  states.  . 

John  W.  Fifield  was  aft'orded  the  advantages  of  the  public  schools  of 
Mempliis,  in  his  native  county,  and  of  the  high  school  at  Harbor  Beach, 
Huron  county.  As  a  youth  he  served  as  clerk  in  a  general  store  and  later 
he  served  a  thorough  apprenticeship  at  the  printer's  trade.  He  was  em- 
ployed for  some  time  in  the  office  of  Tribune-Times  in  the  city  of  Port 
Huron  and  later  was  similarly  associated  with  the  Free  Press  and  News 
in  the  city  of  Detroit,  besides  working  for  a  time  also  on  the  Detroit  Tri- 
biiiic.  In  the  metropolis  of  his  native  state  he  finally  engaged  in  the  job- 
printing  business  and  later  he  was  there  employed  as  an  editor  in  the  office 
of  the  Western  Newspaper  Union,  his  incidental  duties  including  work  as 
proofreader.  For  four  years  he  was  editor  and  publisher  of  a  paper  at 
Deerfield,  Lenawee  county,  and  thereafter  he  was  a  resident  of  Detroit 
until  the  death  of  his  wife. 

In  1909  Mr.  Fifield  established  his  residence  in  Sparta,  one  of  the  most 
attractive  and_  thriving  towns  of  Kent  county,  and  here  he  purchased  the 
plant  and  business  of  the  Sparta  Sentincl-Lcadcr ,  of  vi'hich  he  has  since 
been  editor  and  publisher  and  which  he  has  brought  up  to  a  high  standard, 
the  paper  now  having  a  circulation  of  more  than  2,000  and  the  equipment 
of  both  the  newspaper  and  job  departments  of  the  plant  being  of  marked 
superiority.  Mr.  Fifield  has  built  up  a  satisfactory  advertising  and  job- 
printing  business,  and  in  the  latter  field  he  does  an  appreciable  amount  of 
fine  work  for  Grand  Rapids  business  men. 

Mr.  Fifield  is  known  as  a  stalwart  and  efifective  exponent  of  the  prin- 
ciples and  policies  of  the  Republican  party  and  he  has  served  in  various 
township  and  village  offices.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  \Voodmen  of  the 
World,  and  with  the  Grand  Rapids  Lodge,  No.  48,  of  the  Benevolent  & 
Protective  Order  of  Elks. 

In  1889  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Fifield  to  Miss  Minnie 
E.  Hammill,  who  was  born  November  i,  1869,  a  daughter  of  William  H. 


/^^^:^^^^^^^^,  Q,  O/C^r;^^^-^-^ 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1839 

Hainmill,  at  that  time  a  successful  contractor  and  builder  in  the  city  of 
Port  Huron,  Alichigan.  Mrs.  Fifield  was  summoned  to  the  life  ete'rnal 
on  the  4th  of  October,  1908,  and  she  is  sun^ived  by  three  children, — Roy 
D.,  who  was  bom  September  23,  1890,  and  who  now  resides  at  Sacra- 
mento, California,  where  he  is  in  the  employ  of  the  Pacific  Fruit  & 
Express  Company ;  Howard  S.,  who  was  born  August  16,  1899,  remains 
at  the  paternal  home  and  is  attending  the  public  schools  of  Sparta,  as  is 
also  the  youngest  son,  George  A.,  wdio  was  born  June  28,  1903. 

On  the  29th  of  November,  1909,  Mr.  Fifield  wedded  Miss  Helen  F. 
Bloomer,  daughter  of  Edgar  R.  and  Lily  D.  (Armstrong)  Bloomer,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Ohio  and  the  latter  at  Farmington,  Mich- 
igan. Mr.  Bloomer  was  a  printer  by  trade  and  vocation  and  passed  the 
closing  years  of  his  life  at  Sparta,  Michigan,  his  widow  still  surviving 
him. 

J.\MES  Alexander  Moynes.  In  recent  years  probably  no  firm  of 
carpenter  contractors  has  contributed  in  more  important  measure  to  the 
architectural  improvement  of  Detroit  than  the  firm  of  James  A.  Moynes 
&  Company.  In  the  following  abridged  record  of  the  companys'  activi- 
ties since  its  organization  in  1908  are  contained  a  number  of  the  business, 
public  and  residence  structures  which  are  regarded  as  the  best  examples 
of  Detroit's  modern  building  growth.  Taking  cases  at  random  to  illus- 
trate their  work  may  be  mentioned  the  following :  A  warehouse  for 
the  People's  Outfitting  Company  at  State  and  First  streets ;  the  Frank- 
lin Press  building  on  Third  and  Larned  streets  ;  Pierson  &  Hough  whole- 
sale saddlery  building  near  Third  and  Lamed  streets ;  the  Rainer-Taylor 
Printing  Company  building,  on  Larned  street :  factories  for  Ross  & 
Young  on  the  comer  of  McDougal  and  Jeflferson  avenues ;  Holly  Bros, 
factory  on  Rowena  and  Beaubien  streets  ;  factory  for  the  General  Alumi- 
num Casting  Company  at  the  corner  of  Boulevard  and  St.  Aubin  street ; 
factories  for  the  Detroit  Pressed  Steel  Products  Company  on  Mt,  Elliott 
avenue ;  apartment  houses  on  Davenport  street,  near  \\'oodward  avenue ; 
one  on  Forest  avenue,  near  Second  avenue :  one  on  Putnam  avenue,  near 
Third  avenue ;  one  on  Willis  avenue  and  John  R.  street :  the  residences 
of  Mr.  Ashdown,  on  Boston  boulevard ;  of  Charles  T.  Brennan  on 
Edson  Place,  near  Second  avenue ;  of  Rev.  Father  Dzink  on  Lovett 
avenue,  near  Warren  avenue ;  of  Lloyd  Axford,  of  Dr.  Brady  and  many 
others :  also  the  warehouse  for  the  Golden  Storage  Company  on  Willis 
avenue,  near  Beaubien  street.  The  firm  remodeled  the  Ebenzer  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  built  the  church  for  the  Reformed  Episcopal  Society 
on  the  boulevard,  near  Hamilton  avenue,  and  at  the  present  writing 
are  building  a  church  and  a  schoolhouse  for  the  Affinity  of  Our  Lord 
Parish  on  McClellan  and  Lamb  streets ;  they  built  the  .Samaritan  Hos- 
pital on  the  Boulevard  and  Milwaukee  avenue,  and  a  number  of  the 
stores  in  Highland  Park. 

At  the  head  of  this  important  firm,  James  Alexander  Moynes  has 
thus  accomplished  a  great  deal,  though  starting  in  life  with  a  minimum 
of  capital,  resources  and  influence.  He  was  born  on  the  home  farm  of 
his  family,  near  Lindsey,  in  County  \'ictoria,  Ontario,  May  27.  1871.  a 
son  of  William  and  Mary  (Humphrey)  Moynes.  His  father,  who  was 
born  in  England  in  1833,  came  to  Canada  with  his  parents  in  1841,  his 
father,  William  !\Ioynes,  settling  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of  Lindsey, 
Ontario,  where  he  followed  the  work  of  agriculture  until  he  retired  and 
died  in  Detroit  in  1888.  The  mother  of  the  Detroit  contractor  was  born 
in  Fenlon  Falls.  Ontario,  and  died  in  Detroit  in  1908.  Both  parents 
were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Tames  A.  Moynes  when  eleven  years  old,  in    1882,  was  brought  to 


1840  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

Michigan,  and  continued  his  education,  first  in  Marine  City,  and  later 
in  St.  Clair,  spending  about  three  years  in  those  two  towns.  In  1885, 
when  fourteen,  he  came  to  Detroit  and  began  learning  the  upholstering 
trade,  but  a  short  experience  with  that  convinced  him  that  it  was  not 
his  ])roper  calling,  and  he  soon  began  work  for  the  contracting  lirm  of 
McGrath  &  Walleck.  They  took  him  on  their  pay  roll  as  a  teamster, 
and  later  made  him  an  apprentice  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  After  two 
years  with  that  firm  he  continued  his  apprenticeship  under  Teakle  & 
Golden,  another  firm  of  contractors,  with  whom  he  remained  for  four- 
teen years,  during  which  time  his  apprenticeship  was  completed  and  his 
services  thereafter  for  about  two  years  were  in  the  capacity  of  foreman. 
Mr.  Moynes  then  went  into  partnership  with  his  brother,  and  did  a 
general  cari)enter  contracting  business  for  seven  years.  Having  sold 
his  interest,  in  1908  he  and  IClmer  E.  WooU  formed  a  partnership  under 
the  present  name  of  James  A.  Moynes  &  Company.  Unlike  many  firms 
of  contractors,  the  James  A.  Moynes  &  Company  do  not  rely  entirely 
on  outside  sources  for  their  building  supplies,  hut  maintain  a  large  fac- 
tory for  manufacturing  all  classes  of  material  except  sash  and  doors. 
Practically  all  their  timbers  are  sawed,  fitted  and  finished  in  their  own 
mills,  and  they  thus  possess  unexcelled  facilities  for  prompt  and  thor- 
ough work.  In  six  years  they  have  built  hundreds  of  structures,  includ- 
ing residences,  factories,  stores,  churches  and  schooJhouses  ancl  all  other 
classes  of  buildings. 

Mr.  Moynes  is  one  of  the  intluential  members  of  the  Contractors' 
Association  of  Detroit,  of  the  Michigan  State  Contractors'  .Association, 
and  also  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  is  afifiliated  with  the  Ameri- 
can Eagle  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  with  Zion  Lodge  No.  1,  .\.  1-'.  (S:  .V.  M., 
with  the  National  L'nion  Fraternal  Order,  and  carries  insurance  in  the 
Mutual  Benefit  of  Newark,  New  Jersey.  Mrs.  Moynes  before  her 
marriage  was  Bertha  Gayer,  of  Morriston,  Ontario,  daughter  of  John 
and  Mary  Gayer.  They  are  the  ])arents  of  four  chlitlren :  Caxer  Wil- 
liam. Lillian,  .Stanley  James  and  Margaret  Bertha. 

GiiORCE  LuTox.  One  of  the  most  successful  lawyers  of  Newaygo 
county  is  George  Luton,  who  has  held  a  place  of  usefulness  in  his  com- 
munity for  more  than  forty  years,  and  is  a  man  of  most  substantial 
attainments  and  accomplishments  in  professional  and  civic  affairs.  His 
standing  in  the  community  is  well  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  was  for 
twenty-six  years  continuously  the  incumbent  of  the  office  of  prosecuting 
attorney. 

(leorge  Luton  was  burn  in  the  province  of  Ontario,  December  18, 
1844,  a  son  of  W'illiaiu  and  Elizabeth  (Crane)  Luton.  Grandfather  Wil- 
liam Luton  saw  service  in  the  English  army,  during  the  American  War 
of  1812,  was  a  native  of  England,  and  afterwards  settled  in  Ontario.  The 
maternal  grandfather.  Frank  Crane,  born  in  \'ermont,  moved  across  the 
line  into  Ontario,  and  later  w^ent  to  the  state  of  Illinois  where  he  died. 
\\'illiam  Luton,  the  father,  was  born  in  1820  and  died  February  13, 
1895,  and  the  mother,  who  was  born  March  8,  1822,  and  was  married  in 
1842,  is  still  living,  though  past  ninety  years  of  age.  Roth  parents  have 
spent  all  their  lives  in  Ontario,  where  the  father  was  a  successful  farmer. 
They  were  members  of  the  Christian  church,  and  the  father  was  in  poli- 
tics a  Conservative.  Of  their  seven  children,  five  are  still  living  and 
the  Newaygo  county  attorney  was  the  oldest,  the  others  being  W'illiam 
F.,  who  is  governor  of  the  jail  at  St.  Thomas,  Ontario ;  Liza  A.,  the 
widow  of  Peter  Ostander.  of  St.  Thomas;  Edith,  who  married  Dr.  M. 
C.  Sinclair,  a  physician  of  Grand  Rapids;  Frank  L.,  who  married  a  Mr. 
Church,  and  lives  in  Los  Angeles,  California. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1841 

George  Luton  grew  up  and  received  a  preliminary  education  in  the 
schools  of  St.  Thomas,  attended  the  Upper  Canada  College  at  Toronto, 
and  was  graduated  in  law  in  1871.  He  had  to  earn  the  means  for  his 
higher  education  and  when  he  began  practice  at  Newaygo  in  1873,  it  was 
as  a  poor  young  man  without  influential  friends,  and  he  has  won  his  suc- 
cess entirely  on  demonstrated  merit.  In  1876  he  was  elected  to  the  office 
of  prosecuting  attorney  of  Newaygo  county,  and  by  repeated  re-election 
held  the  office  for  twenty-six  years,  a  record  in  that  one  office  which  has 
probably  been  seldom  surpassed  in  Michigan.  He  has  long  been  one  of 
the  leaders  in  local  Republican  politics.  Mr.  Luton  is  a  Royal  Arch 
Mason,  was  Master  for  eight  years  of  Newaygo  Lodge,  No.  131,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  and  was  high  priest  for  four  years  of  Newaygo  Chapter,  No. 
38,  R.  A.  M.  Since  1879  Mr.  Luton  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board 
of  education,  and  was  president  of  the  village  for  four  years.  He  is  a 
director  in  the  First  State  Bank  of  Newaygo  and  has  prospered  finan- 
cially as  well  as  in  his  profession. 

Ch.\rles  G.  Pr.\tt,  M.  D.  Engaged  in  the  successful  practice  of  his 
profession  in  the  attractive  village  of  Sparta,  Dr.  Pratt  is  numbered 
among  the  representative  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Kent  county  and 
his  substantial  and  constantly  increasing  practice  affords  the  best  voucher 
for  his  professional  ability  and  personal  popularity. 

Dr.  Pratt  has  the  distinction  of  claiming  the  great  city  of  Chicago  as 
the  place  of  his  nativity,  and  was  born  on  the  7th  of  June,  1873.  He  is  a 
son  of  A.  B.  and  Adelaide  (Lowe)  Pratt,  both  of  whom  were  born  and 
reared  in  the  city  of  Rochester,  New  York,  where  their  marriage  was 
solemnized  and  whence  they  removed  to  Chicago  in  1872,  Mr.  Pratt  be- 
coming a  successful  merchant  in  the  great  western  metropolis,  where  his 
death  occurred  in  191 1,  the  year  of  his  birth  having  been  1852.  His 
widow,  who  was  born  in  1855,  now  resides  in  Chicago.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Edward  Lowe,  who  was  of  English  descent  and  a  native  of  the  state 
of  New  York,  where  he  passed  his  entire  liife.  He  was  a  successful  salt 
manufacturer  and  had  other  capitalistic  interests.  As  a  member  of  a  New 
York  regiment  he  was  a  gallant  soldier  of  the  Union  during  the  entire 
period  of  the  Civil  war.  Zelotes  Pratt,  grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  was 
a  resident  of  the  old  Empire  state  during  the  entire  period  of  his  life  and 
the  family  lineage  is  traced  back  to  staunch  English  origin,  he  having 
been  a  successful  school  teacher  in  his  earlier  years  and  having  long  been 
numbered  among  the  able  and  prosperous  representatives  of  the  agricul- 
tural industry  in  the  state  of  New  York.  A.  B.  Pratt  was  a  stalwart 
Republican  in  his  political  allegiance,  and  was  affiliated  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  the  Benevolent  &  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  was  a 
zealous  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  as  is  also  his  widow.  Of 
the  three  children  the  eldest  is  R.  A.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  meat  and  ice 
business  at  Woodstock,  Illinois;  Dr.  Charles  G.,  of  this  review,  was  the 
next  in  order  of  birth ;  and  James  T.  is  engaged  in  the  retail  grocery  busi- 
ness at  Freeport,  Illinois. 

The  excellent  public  schools  of  Chicago  aft'orded  Dr.  Pratt  his  earlier 
educational  advantages,  which  were  supplemented  by  his  study  in  the 
academic  or  literary  department  of  the  University  of  Illinois.  In  the  med- 
ical department  of  this  institution  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the 
class  of  1896  and  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  After  his  gradu- 
ation he  gained  valuable  clinical  experience  through  serving  eighteen 
months  as  interne  in  the  Cook  County  hospital,  in  the  city  of  Chicago, 
and  he  thereafter  was  engaged  in  practice  at  Chicago  until  1901,  when 
he  established  his  residence  in  the  village  of  Sparta.  Michigan,  where  he 
has  since  followed  the  work  of  his  profession  with  all  of  zeal  and  ability 


1842  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

and  where  lie  controls  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Kent  County  Medical  Society,  the  .Michigan  State  Medical  Society 
and  the  American  Medical  Association.  He  is  unfaltering  in  his  devo- 
tion to  his  humane  profession  and  his  chief  diversion  is  gained  through 
the  medium  of  occasional  hunting  and  fishing  trips.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics  and  is  affiliated  with  the  Benevolent  &  Protective  Order  of 
Elks  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

In  i8()~  Dr.  Pratt  wedded  Miss  Martha  Vincent,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
and  they  are  leaders  in  the  best  social  activities  of  their  home  community. 
They  have  no  children. 

Rudolph  Van  Dyke.  A  representative  business  man  of  Lowell, 
Kent  county,  Mr.  Van  Dyke  is  a  scion  of  a  family  whose  name  has  been 
identitied  with  Michigan  history  for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  he 
finds  a  definite  satisfaction  in  reverting  to  this  favored  commonwealth  as 
the  place  of  his  nativity.  Mr.  \'an  Dyke  is  president  of  the  City  State 
Bank  of  Lowell,  one  of  the  staunch  financial  institutions  of  Kent  county, 
and  he  is  one  of  the  progressive  and  intluenlial  citizens  of  the  county  that 
has  ever  rej^rescnted  his  home  and  in  which  his  success  has  been 
achieved  through  well  directed  effort  along  normal  and  productive  lines  of 
enterprise. 

Mr.  \'an  Dyke  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Browne  township,  Kent  county, 
Michigan,  on  the  2d  of  Januarj',  1866,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Margaret 
(Ronan)  Van  Dyke,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Holland,  in  the 
year  1820,  and  the  latter  of  whom  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  where  she  was 
born  in  1829  and  whence  she  came  with  her  parents  to  America  when  she 
was  a  child.  Peter  \'an  Dyke  immigrated  from  Holland  in  1858  and 
established  his  home  in  Michigan,  having  become  one  of  the  pioneer  farm- 
ers and  honored  citizens  of  Kent  county  and  having  here  continued  his 
residence  until  his  death,  in  1866.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  were  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church.  Two  of 
his  brothers  gave  loyal  service  as  Union  soldiers  in  the  Civil  war,  and  he 
himself  was  ever  imbued  with  deep  appreciation  of  the  advantages  of  the 
land  of  his  adoption.  His  wife  long  survived  him  and  was  nearly  eighty 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  demise,  in  i()o8,  their  only  child,  Rudolph, 
of  this  review,  having  been  an  infant  at  the  time  of  the  father's  death. 

Rudolph  \'an  Dyke  attended  the  common  schools  of  his  native  county 
imtil  he  had  attained  to  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  when  he  began  to  de- 
pend largely  upon  his  own  resources,  a  fact  that  indicates  fully  that  he 
has  been  the  artificer  of  his  own  fortunes  and  has  proved  one  of  the  pro- 
ductive workers  of  the  world.  As  a  boy  he  was  employed  in  the  lumber 
woods  and  saw  mills,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  became  a  clerk 
in  a  general  store.  Later  he  worked  in  a  clothing  store,  and  for  a  time 
lie  did  effective  service  as  traveling  salesman  for  machinery. 

Mr.  Van  Dyke  has  maintained  his  home  at  Lowell  since  1886  and  has 
had  much  to  do  with  the  civic  and  business  activities  of  this  thriving  little 
city,  where  he  has  served  in  minor  municipal  offices  and  also  as  president 
of  the  village  board  of  trustees,  his  administration  as  chief  executive  hav- 
ing been  notably  of  benefit  to  the  town.  He  is  president  of  the  City  State 
Bank  of  Lowell,  which  is  incorporated  with  a  capital  stock  of  $2^,000  and 
which  maintains  a  surplus  fund  of  $10,000,  the  average  deposits  of  the 
institution  having  an  aggregate  of  $275,000.  The  bank  was  organized  in 
1907  and  has  proved  a  most  valuable  addition  to  the  financial  and  gen- 
eral business  facilities  of  the  town  in  which  it  is  established.  In  1894 
Mr.  Van  Dyke  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Lowell,  and  from  a 
modest  inception  the  enterprise  was  built  up  to  one  of  substantial  order, 
the  business  having  been  originally  conducted  under  the  title  of  R.  \'an 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1843 

Dyke  &  Company,  with  Mr.  \'an  Dyke  as  one  of  the  interested  principals. 
He  is  now  the  executive  head  of  this  business,  which  is  the  largest  of  its 
kind  in  Lowell,  and  he  finds  ample  demands  upon  his  time  and  attention 
in  supervising  his  grocery  establishment  and  the  bank  of  which  he  is 
president,  the  while  he  has  impregnable  place  in  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  the  community. 

In  politics  Mr.  Van  Dyke  is  found  aligned  as  a  loyal  supporter  of  the 
principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  he  and  his  family  are  communi- 
cants of  the  Catholic  church.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  lodge  of  Benevol- 
ent &  Protective  Order  of  Elks  in  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids  and  is  one 
of  the  well  known  citizens  of  Kent  county. 

In  the  year  1888  Mr.  \'an  Dyke  wedded  Miss  Nellie  Garrick,  of  Ionia, 
this  state,  and  the  two  children  of  the  union  are  Rudolph  D.  and  Beatrice 
A.  The  son  was  graduated  in  the  engineering  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  ^Michigan  and  now  holds  a  responsible  position  in  the  city  of 
Grand  Rapids.  The  daughter  has  recently  completed  a  course  in  a  kinder- 
garten training  school  at  Grand  Rapids  and  is  also  a  talented  musician. 
The  loved  wife  and  mother  passed  to  the  life  eternal  in  1894,  and  in  1896 
was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  \'an  Dyke  to  Aliss  ^Minnie  Howe,  of 
Lowell,  no  children  having  been  born  of  this  union.  Mrs.  Van  Dyke  is 
active  in  church  work  and  in  the  representative  social  life  of  her  home 
city,  where  her  circle  of  friends  is  limited  only  by  that  of  her 
acquaintances. 

Henry  D.  Woodw.\rd.  Some  men  seem  destined  by  nature  to  suc- 
ceed ;  no  matter  what  obstacles  appear  in  their  path,  they  are  able  to  over- 
come them  if  for  no  other  reason  than  that  of  a  persistent  determination. 
Michigan's  best  citizenship  is  made  up  of  men  who  were  handicapped 
in  their  earlier  years,  and  whose  latent  ability  have  been  brought  forth 
through  the  necessitv  to  labor  hard  and  faithfully,  and  have  thus  reached 
a  measure  of  success  which  under  different  conditions  might  never  have 
attended  their  eflforts.  An  example  of  such  a  successful  business  man 
is  Henry  D.  Woodward,  banker,  and  land  owner  and  former  lumberman 
of  Newaygo.  .Among  other  achievements  to  his  credit,  Ivlr.  Woodward 
wore  the' blue  uniform  and  fought  in  the  ranks  of  the  Union  army  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war. 

Henry  D.  Woodward  was  born  in  .\llegany  county,  New  York,  .\pril 
2,  1845,  a  son  of  Samuel  M.  and  Lucina  I  Caswell)  Woodward.  Massa- 
chusetts was  the  native  state  of  both  parents,  where  the  father  was  born 
in  1813,  and  the  mother  in  1816.  After  their  marriage  they  came  west 
and  in  1852  settled  in  Michigan,  where  the  father  was  for  many  years  a 
prosperous  farmer.  Both  parents  died  in  the  same  year,  1883.  They 
were  members  of  the  Alethodist  church  and  the  father  was  a  Republican 
in  politics.  Of  their  six  children,  the  only  ones  now  living  is  Henry  D. 
Woodward. 

He  was  seven  years  of  age  when  the  family  settled  in  Alichigan.  grew 
up  on  a  farm,  attended  country  schools,  and  at  an  early  age  decided  that 
the  onlv  way  for  him  to  win  success  was  to  depend  upon  his  own  energies 
and  to  fight  the  battle  of  life  srjuarely,  and  without  seeking  advantages 
of  any  kind,  except  such  as  came  by  industry  and  by  vigilance. 

He  early  became  identified  with  the  lumbering  in'dustr}-,  when  it  was 
at  its  high  tide  of  prosperity,  and  eventually  became  an  independent 
operator  and  did  business  on  a  large  scale.  That  was  the  foundation  of 
his  fortune,  and  he  continued  as  a  lumberman  until  in  1884  he  was  hon- 
ored with  election  to  the  office  of  probate  judge  of  Newaygo  county. 
Twelve  years  of  capable  service  in  this  office  was  followed  by  his  in- 
fluential part  in  assisting  in  the  organization  of  the  First  State  Bank  of 


184-i  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

Newaygo,  of  which  he  is  one  of  the  directors.  This  bank  is  an  institu- 
tion which  has  long  stood  the  test  of  time,  and  service,  and  has  a  capital 
of  twenty-thousand  dollars  and  a  surplus  of  twelve  thousand. 

In  i866  Mr.  Woodward  married  Miss  .\deline  E.  Slater,  a  daughter 
of  Amos  Slater,  who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  and  farmers  of 
Newaygo  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodward  have  one  child,  Jennie  A., 
who  married  Daniel  Minogue.  They  in  turn  are  the  parents  of  three 
children,  grandchildren  of  Mr.  Woodward,  as  follows:  Raymond  D., 
who  is  proprietor  of  a  men's  furnishing  store  in  Newaygo;  Ruth,  who 
married  Harold  Day  and  lives  in  Brigham  City,  Utah ;  and  Rolland  E., 
who  is  attending  college  in  his  senior  year  at  I-^nsing. 

Mr.  Woodward  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  has  been  a  Re- 
publican all  his  voting  life,  and  has  served  as  senior  warden  in  the  Masonic 
Lodge.  In  August,  1S63.  when  a  young  man  of  eighteen,  he  entered  the 
Union  army  in  Company  A  of  the  Tenth  .Michigan  Cavalry.  His  serv- 
ice continued  for  more  than  two  years  until  his  final  discharge  November 
II,  1865,  several  months  after  the  close  of  the  war.  At  Knoxville,  Ten- 
nessee, he  was  captured,  btit  was  paroled  after  forty-eight  hours.  Mr. 
Woodward  is  one  of  the  large  land  owners  in  this  part  of  Michigan,  and 
during  the  past  year  sold  three  valuable  farms. 

D.wiD  G.  M.WGE.  Of  the  representative  business  men  of  the  thriv- 
ing little  city  of  Lowell,  Kent  county,  none  is  more  progressive  or  en- 
joys a  fuller  measure  of  personal  popularity  than  does  Mr.  Mange, 
who  holds  the  responsible  position  of  cashier  of  the  Lowell  State  Bank 
and  whose  advancement  in  the  world  represents  the  concrete  results  of 
his  own  efforts. 

Mr.  Mange  was  born  at  Stryker,  Williams  county,  Ohio,  on  the  19th 
of  December,  1873,  and  is  a  son  of  John  G.  and  Rosa  (Krause)  Mange, 
both  natives  of  the  fair  little  republic  of  Switzerland,  where  the  former 
was  born  in  18.49  'i"fl  I'le  latter  in  1844.  They  were  children  at  the  time 
of  the  immigration  of  the  respective  families  to  the  L'nited  States  and 
their  parents  settled  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  G.  Mange  was  solemnized  in  the 
city  of  .St.  Louis,  and  their  lives  were  marked  by  signal  consecration  to 
high  ideals.  Mr.  Mange  gained  a  liberal  education,  in  Missouri  and  at 
Upper  Alton,  Illinois,  and  for  many  years  he  labored  zealously  as  an 
evangelist,  in  which  ca])acity  his  labors  extended  into  the  most  diverse 
parts  of  the  Union.  He  passed  the  closing  days  of  his  long  and  useful 
life  at  Lowell,  where  he  died  in  the  year  1906,  and  his  widow'  now  re- 
sides at  Lowell.  Of  the  four  children  David  G.,  of  this  review  is  the 
elder  of  the  two  surviving,  and  Edith  ^I.  is  now  a  clerical  assistant  in 
the  office  of  Dr.  McDannell.  of  Lowell,  her  desire  of  following  the  voca- 
tion of  teaching  having  been  nullified  by  a  disorder  of  her  eyes. 

To  the  public  schools  of  Ohio  and  Michigan  is  David  G.  Mange  in- 
debted for  his  early  educational  discijiline.  and  he  has  been  dependent 
upon  his  own  resources  from  early  youth.  In  1890  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Lowell,  and  here  he  attended  the  high  school  for  three  years. 
In  1893  he  assumed  a  minor  position  in  the  Lowell  State  Bank,  and  in 
this  institution  his  ability  and  faithful  service  have  won  him  advance- 
ment, together  with  implicit  official  confidence  and  public  esteem.  He 
is  now  cashier  of  the  bank,  which  is  incorporated  with  a  capital  stock 
of  $30,000,  with  undivided  profits  of  $17,000  and  with  deposits  of  fullv 
$350,000.  Mr.  Mange  is  also  a  member  of  the  directorate  of  this  sub- 
stantial and  popular  institution,  and  in  connection  with  his  official  duties 
he  has  built  up  an  excellent  business  as  an  insurance  underwriter.  He  is 
a  notary  public,  and  as  such  does  a  large  amount  of  work  in  convevanc- 


^•^/ 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1845 

ing  and  the  handling  of  abstracts  of  title.  He  is  now  serving  his  second 
term  as  a  member  of  the  village  council  of  Lowell,  and  his  political  alle- 
giance is  given  to  the  Republican  party.  He  is  essentially  liberal  and 
progressive  and  has  been  an  active  and  valued  promoter  of  the  work  of 
the  Lowell  Board  of  Trade.  He  gives  support  to  religious  and  benevolent 
activities  and  Mrs.  Mange  is  a  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  in  Lov^^ell,  as  well  as  a  popular  factor  in  the  representative  social 
activities  of  the  village. 

The  year  1900  recorded  the  marriage  of  Mr.  ]Mange  to  Miss  Lavancha 
E.  Cogswell,  of  Lowell,  and  the  two  children  of  this  union  are  Richard 
D.  and  Lester  R. 

Elmer  Ellsworth  Wooll.  Success  in  no  department  of  human 
activities  is  possible  without  preparation  and  native  or  acquired  ability, 
and  the  business  record  of  E.  E.  Wooll,  a  well-known  Detroit  con- 
tractor, exemplifies  this  assertion.  While  a  youth  in  Saginaw  county,  he 
gained  a  knowledge  of  an  important  branch  of  lumber  manufacture, 
later  took  up  the  trade  of  carpenter,  and  finally  with  long  and  thorough 
experience  behind  him  joined  the  firm  of  J.  A.  ]\Ioynes  &  Company, 
known  today  as  one  of  the  leading  carpenter  contractors  and  manu- 
facturers of  building  material  in  Detroit. 

Elmer  Ellsworth  Wooll  is  a  native  of  ^Michigan,  born  on  his  father's 
farm  in  Fairfield  township  of  Shiawassee  county,  October  24,  1861,  a 
son  of  Moses  and  Louisa  J.  (Bates)  Wooll.  Moses  \\'ooll  was  born 
in  England  in  1823,  and  the  grandfather,  Kingston  Wooll,  brought  his 
family  to  the  United  States  in  1833,  settling  in  ^ledina  county  of  the 
Western  Resen-e  of  Ohio.  About  1850  the  grandfather  made  another 
move,  this  time  to  Michigan,  and  bought  government  land  in  Clinton 
county.  Moses  ^^^ooll  grew  to  manhood  in  Ohio,  learned  the  trade  of 
wagonmaker,  and  for  many  years  was  in  business  at  Oakley,  in  Saginaw 
county,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1887.  His  widow  died  in  Oakley 
in  1891  at  the  age  of  sixty-five. 

Ehner  E.  Wooll  was  about  six  years  old  when  the  family  moved  in 
1867  to  Oakley  in  Saginaw  county,  and  that  was  the  locality  in  which 
his  boyhood  was  passed,  where  he  gained  his  education,  and  where  he 
made  his  first  ventures  in  practical  life.  \\'ith  a  common  school  educa- 
tion, he  early  found  himself  in  the  practical  routine  of  self-support, 
and  up  to  1890  was  engaged  in  a  stave  factory.  That  year  saw  his 
removal  to  Detroit,  and  for  about  four  years  he  was  employed  as  a 
journeyman  carpenter.  He  next  became  shop  foreman  for  the  con- 
tracting firm  of  Moynes  Bros.,  and  about  igo8  he  and  James  A.  Moynes 
founded  the  present  firm  of  James  A.  Moynes  &  Company,  carpenter 
contractors  and  manufacturers  of  their  own  building  materials.  The 
two  partners  are  recognized  as  among  the  ablest  men  in  their  profession 
in  Detroit,  and  how  successful  the  firm  has  been  is  told  somewhat  in 
detail  in  the  sketch  of  the  senior  member  on  other  pages  of  this  publi- 
cation. 

Mr.  Wooll  has  membership  in  Olive  Branch  Lodge  No.  38.  I.  O.  O.  F.. 
and  in  Old  Glory  Encampment  No.  171  of  the  same  order;  also  belongs 
to  the  IMaccabees  and  the  National  Union  fraternal  organization.  In 
the  line  of  his  business  he  belongs  to  the  Master  Carpenters'  Association. 
Mr.  Wooll  was  married  May  21,  1901,  to  Miss  Louise  J.  Lossing,  who 
was  born  in  Sanilac  county,  Michigan,  a  daughter  of  Lanson  Lossing, 
who  was  a  native  of  Ontario,  Canada. 

ToHN  H.\RWOOD.  During  a  career  of  more  than  thirty  years  at  the 
Michigan  bar.  Mr.  Harwood  has  exemplified  all  the  success  and  the  gen- 


1846  HISTORY  OF  xMlCHIGAX 

eroiis  public  service  of  a  representative  lawyer.  Jrle  has  been  honored 
on  many  occasions  with  [jositions  of  responsibility  and  trust,  and  is  the 
type  of  man  whose  life  began  without  special  advantages,  except  such 
as  he  secured  by  his  own  eftorts,  and  he  rose  from  a  place  of  conijjarative 
jjoverty  to  a  high  rank  in  his  community  and  state. 

John  Marwood  was  born  in  England,  March  24,  1^43.  a  son  of  Rob- 
ert and  Hannah  (Rugg)  Harwood.  His  grandfather  was  named  Rob- 
ert Harwood,  and  also  his  great-grandfather.  Grandfather  Harwood 
lived  in  England  all  his  days,  and  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  Robert 
Harwood,  the  father,  was  born  in  1809,  and  died  in  1862,  while  his  wife 
was  born  in  1807  and  died  in  i8()5.  Married  in  England,  they  moved  to 
America  in  "1852,  settling  in  New  Vork  Slate,  where  the  father  followed 
his  trade  of  blacksmith  until  his  death.  He  and  his  wife  were  members 
of  the  Methodist  church,  and  after  taking  out  citizenship  papers  in  this 
country,  he  devoted  his  support  to  the  Whig  and  Republican  party.  Of 
the  seven  children  three  are  now  living,  ^lary  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  \\  elsh 
and  lives  at  Castleton,  New  York;  Annie  is  the  widow  of  Mort  Heidctte, 
and  lives  with  her  sister  in  Xew  York. 

Mr.  John  Harwood  was  nine  years  old  when  the  family  came  to 
America,  supplemented  such  advantages  as  he  had  received  in  England 
by  further  attendance  at  the  New  York  public  schools,  and  linished  his 
education  in  the  Normal  school  at  Albany.  At  the  conclusion  ol  his 
studies  he  went  before  the  state  board  and  was  given  after  an  examination 
a  life  certificate  as  a  teacher.  Twenty  years  of  his  career  were  devoted 
to  educational  work,  and  Mr.  Harwood  has  hundreds  of  former  ])upils 
li\ing  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  and  many  of  them  are  prominent  in 
affairs,  all  of  whom  recall  his  capable  services  with  gratitude.  In  i8f)y 
on  coming  to  Michigan,  he  settled  at  Ci>ncord  in  Jackson  county,  was  a 
teacher  there,  and  while  continuing  his  work  in  the  .school  room  was  also 
studying  law.  In  1880  came  his  admission  to  the  bar,  and  since  then  he 
has  been  in  practice  at  White  Cloud,  though  much  of  his  time  has  been 
taken  up  with  official  duties. 

In  1866  he  married  Harriett  A.  Fuller,  of  Cobleskill,  New  York.  The 
one  child  of  that  marriage  was  Nettie  who  married  Arthur  W.  Robcrt- 
son.  of  Detroit,  a  boot  and  shoe  maker  in  that  city.  Mr.  Harwood  mar- 
ried for  his  second  wife,  Mary  A.  Storman,  of  Saginaw,  Michigan,  who 
came  to  White  Cloud  when  a  child  with  her  parents.  She  died  in  White 
('loud,  June  15,  1913.  She  was  the  mother  of  two  children,  Robert,  who 
is  in  school,  and  John.  .Mr.  Harwood  affiliates  with  the  lndci)endent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  has  long  been  prominent  in  the  Republican 
party.  He  served  eight  years  as  circuit  court  commissioner,  was  school 
commissioner  for  two  years,  a  member  of  the  county  board  of  school 
examiners  for  twenty-seven  years,  and  suiiervisnr  of  Wilcox  township 
lifteen  consecutive  years,  one  of  the  highest  honors  ever  paid  to  a  town- 
ship official  in  tiie  county.  For  eleven  years  he  held  the  position  of  post- 
master at  White  Cloud,  and  since  retiring  from  the  office  in  1912,  has 
once  more  resumed  the  active  practice  of  law.  Mr.  1  larwood  owns  a  good 
farm  and  considerable  farm  property.  ;ind  handles  real  estate  in  addi- 
tion to  his  practice  in  the  courts. 

Roy  J.  TuRXKK,  M.  D.  Although  Dr.  Roy  J.  Turner  is  numbered 
among  the  more  recent  acquisitions  to  the  medical  profession  of  Macomb 
county,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  general  practice  of  medicine  at  Xew 
lialtimorc,  he  has  already  won  a  large  and  growing  patronage,  for  he  is 
thoroughly  conxersant  with  the  most  modern  methods  known  to  the  mem- 
bers of  his  profession,  and  the  results  which  have  followed  his  labors 
have  gained  for  him  the  trust  and  confidence  of  the  jniblic  at  large.     Doc- 


HISTORY  OF  xMICHIGAN  1847 

tor  Turner's  success  is  all  the  more  creditable,  in  that  it  has  been  entirely 
self-gained  ;  he  has  won  his  own  way,  unaided  by  any  influence  or  ad- 
ventitious circumstance. 

Roy  J.  Turner  was  born  at  Eureka,  Clinton  county,  Michigan,  Janu- 
ary 28,  1880,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Sarah  J.  (Cliff)  Turner.  His 
father,  a  native  of  New  York  state,  early  learned  the  trade  of  cabinet- 
maker and  was  so  engaged  in  his  native  community  for  some  years.  As 
a  young  man  he  came  to  St.  Johns,  Clinton  county,  Michigan,  and  while 
there  enlisted  in  a  Michigan  Regiment  of  X'olunteer  Infantry  for  serv- 
ice during  the  Ci\'il  War,  but  the  close  of  that  struggle  came  before  his 
command  was  called  to  the  front.  He  became  well  known  as  a  cabinet- 
maker and  for  years  carried  on  that  business  at  St.  Johns  and  other  points 
in  Clinton  county,  but  tinally  entered  the  contracting  business  as  a  car- 
penter and  is  so  engaged  at  this  time  in  Detroit.  Although  seventy-two 
years  of  age  he  continues  to  be  active  in  his  business,  in  which  he  has 
gained  a  satisfactory  measure  of  success.  Mr.  Turner  was  married  at 
St.  Johns  to  ]Miss  Sarah  J.  Cliff,  who  was  born  in  England  and  came 
to  America  alone  in  childhood.  She  first  settled  at  Detroit,  where  she 
was  educated,  and  became  a  school  teacher,  being  engaged  in  educational 
work  at  the  time  she  met  Mr.  Turner  at  St.  Johns.  She  is  now  a  resident 
of  Detroit  and  is  sixty-seven  years  of  age.  To  Daniel  and  Sarah  J. 
Turner  there  were  born  four  children,  of  whom  Doctor  Turner  is  the 
youngest. 

Roy  f.  Turner  grew  up  at  Eureka,  where  he  received  his  preliminary 
educational  training  in  the  graded  and  high  schools.  Later  he  was  a 
student  in  the  high  school  at  St.  Johns,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1901,  and  after  some  preparation  entered  the  Michigan  College  of  Sur- 
gery at  Detroit,  being  graduated  from  both  the  medical  departments  in 
1906.  He  at  once  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  calling  at  .Anchorville, 
St.  Clair  county,  and  remained  there  for  six  and  one-half  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time,  seeking  a  wider  field,  he  came  to  Xew  Baltimore,  in 
19 1 3.  He  inaintains  well  equipped  offices  and  has  every  modern  appliance 
for  the  successful  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery.  His  practice  is 
daily  increasing  as  his  ability  is  becoming  recognized,  and  he  already 
numbers  among  his  patients  some  of  the  most  representative  people  of 
this  locality.  An  earnest  student,  a  careful  practitioner,  a  steady-handed 
surgeon  and  a  man  possessed  of  deep  sympathy.  Doctor  Turner  may  well 
be  said  to  be  one  who  has  chosen  wisely  in  his  vocation.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  St.  Clair  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society 
and  the  American  Medical  Association.  His  religious  connection  is  with 
the  Congregational  church,  in  which  he  serves  as  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees. 

Doctor  Turner  was  married  at  Bancroft,  Michigan,  September  12, 
1905,  to  Miss  Blanche  A.  Harrick,  a  graduate  of  the  Nurse's  Institute 
and'  Woods'  Hospital,  at  Angola,  Indiana,  who  has  been  able  to  assist 
her  husband  greatly  in  his  work.  Airs.  Turner  is  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hiram  Harrick,  well-known  pioneers  of  Bancroft.  Two  children 
have  come  to  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Turner;  Roy,  Junior,  born  at  Anchor- 
ville,  October  27,  1907,  and  who  died  at  Anchorville,  February  20,  1909; 
Lucy  Evelyn,  who  was  born  at  Anchorville,  Michigan,  in  1909.  Both  the 
Doctor  and  his  estimable  wife  are  prominent  in  Xew  Baltimore,  where 
thev  have  already  gained  a  host  of  warm  friends. 

Cart.  .\.  W.agxer.  Prominent  among  the  leading  citizens  and  law- 
yers of  Port  Huron,  Carl  A.  Wagner  has  long  been  a  conspicuous  figure 
'in  military  circles,  having,  while  inspector  of  small-arms  practice  and 
inspector  general   for  the  state,  very  materially  contributed  to  making 


1848  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

Michigan  a  leader  among  the  other  states  of  tlie  Union  in  regard  to  rifle 
practice,  an  important  branch  of  mihtary  instruction,  in  which  he  is  an 
expert.  A  native  of  Huron  County.  Michigan,  he  was  born  Xovember 
iS,  1858,  in  Bingham  township,  being  the  second  white  child  born  in 
that  locality,  the  birth  of  the  first  white  child  of  that  township  having 
occurred  the  previous  day,  on  Xovember  17,  1858. 

His  father,  Andrew  Wagner,  was  born  in  Bavaria.  Germany,  June 
14,  1823,  and  as  a  young  man  served  for  three  years  in  the  German  army. 
Immigrating  to  .\nierica,  he  lived  for  a  short  time  in  Xew  York  City, 
and  subse(iuently  followed  his  trade  as  a  stone  cutter  in  Cle\'eland.  Ohio, 
for  a  short  time.  In  1855,  he  bought  one  hundred  and  si.xfy  acres  of 
land  of  the  government  in  Huron  County,  and  began  clearing  the  land 
and  established  a  home  there.  About  i860  he  removed  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Detroit,  where,  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war,  he  enlisted 
in  the  Twenty-fourth  Michigan  \'olunteer  Infantry  (Iron  Brigade),  and 
was  with  his  command  in  several  engagements  of  importance,  includ- 
ing the  battles  of  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville  and  at  Gettysburg. 
In  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  on  July  i,  1863,  while  carrying  the  colors, 
he  was  shot  through  the  breast  and  left  for  dead  on  the  battle- 
field. Recovering,  however,  he  returned  to  his  farm  in  Huron  County, 
Michigan,  and  there  resided  until  his  death,  in  April,  1867.  He  married 
first  in  Germany  and  by  that  union  had  one  child,  Margaret  Gertrude, 
who  is  now  the  wife  of  Frank  Goetz,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Andrew  Wag- 
ner married,  for  his  second  wife,  in  1851,  in  Xew  York  City,  Mrs.  Lucy 
Dorothy  ( Mufl^ )  Seitz.  who  was  born  in  \\  iirtemberg,  Germany,  Decem- 
ber lo,  1821,  and  died  in  Reynoldsville,  I'ennsylvania,  -September  22, 
1905.  She  was  twice  married,  by  her  first  union  having  one  daughter. 
Mrs.  Louise  M.  Xefif,  of  Reynoldsville,  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
.Andrew  Wagner  became  the  parents  of  four  children,  as  follows:  Mrs. 
Dora  Danenburg,  a  widow,  living  in  Xew  York ;  Carl  A.,  the  s]iecial 
subject  of  this  brief  personal  record:  Minnie,  born  in  1862.  married 
Wesley  Smith,  and  died  at  Port  Huron,  Michigan,  April  9,  1901  :  and 
-Albert  A.,  of  Port  Huron,  who  was  born  June  16,  1864,  and  died  at 
Port  Huron,  June  7,  1914. 

-After  the  death  of  his  father.  Carl  .A.  A\'agner  remained  witli  his 
mother  and  the  family  on  the  home  farm  in  Huron  County,  and  lived 
there  until  the  fall  of  1871,  when  all  of  the  farming  propertv  was  de- 
stroyed ijy  the  forest  fires.  The  widowed  mother  then  removed  with 
her  children  to  Erie,  Pennsylvania,  and  there  lived  with  her  daughter 
by  her  first  marriage.  Continuing  his  studies  in  the  public  schools  of 
Erie,  Carl  A.  Wagner  was  graduated  from  the  Central  high  school  and 
subsequently  traveled  a  short  time  as  salesman  for  a  firm  dealing  in 
household  specialties.  In  the  spring  of  1880,  barkening  to  the  "call  of 
the  soil,"  Mr.  Wagner's  mother,  brother  and  sister  came  back  to  the  old 
farm  in  Huron  county.  Michigan,  and  had  just  made  a  good  start  in 
improving  the  i)lace.  when,  in  1881.  fire  again  destroyed  everything  on 
the  place,  with  the  exce])tion  of  the  house. 

Mr.  Wagner  had  charge  of  a  branch  store  of  the  Lovell  Manufactur- 
ing Company  in  Worcester.  Massachusetts,  from  1880  to  September. 
1883,  at  wdiich  time  he  returned  to  his  native  state  and  entered  the  law- 
department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1887.  During  the  ensuing  two  years  he  was 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Bad  -Axe.  the  county-seat  of  Huron 
County.  In  1889  Mr.  \\'agner  located  at  Port  Huron,  and  has  since  been 
a  valued  and  highly  esteemed  resident  of  this  city,  and  member  of  the 
bar  of  St.  Clair  County.  He  has  taken  an  active  part  in  local  affairs,  in 
1894  having  been  elected  police  justice  for  a  term  of  four  vears,  and  re- 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1849 

elected  to  the  same  office  in  1898.  He  has  bulk  up  a  successful  law  prac- 
tice and  enjoys  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  lawyer. 

In  1898  Mr.  Wagner  was  second  lieutenant  of  the  Port  Huron  mili- 
tary company,  and  when  war  was  declared  against  Spain  he  went  into 
camp  with  his  company  at  Island  Lake,  on  April  26,  1898.  Soon  after 
the  Michigan  Division  of  the  Sons  of  V'eterans  organized  two  companies 
from  its  membership,  and  offered  them  to  the  State  of  Michigan  for 
service.  Mr.  Wagner  was  selected  as  captain  of  the  first  company,  which 
was  assigned  to  the  Thirty-third  Michigan  \'olunteer  Infantry,  l)ecom- 
ing  Company  L  of  that  regiment,  commanded  by  Colonel  Boynton  of 
Port  Huron.  The  regiment  went  to  Cuba  during  the  Spanish-American 
war,  and  on  July  i,  1898,  at  Aguadores,  two  of  the  soldiers  in  Captain 
Wagner's  company  were  killed  and  three  wounded.  In  December,  1898, 
at  the  close  of  the  war.  Captain  Wagner  was  mustered  out  of  the  serv- 
ice with  his  company. 

In  November,  1900,  when  Colonel  Boynton  was  appointed  brigadier 
general  of  the  ]\Iichigan  National  Guard,  Captain  Wagner  was  commis- 
sioned major  and  made  assistant  inspector  general  on  the  general's  staff'. 
In  June,  1903,  General  William  T.  McGurrin  appointed  Captain  \\'agner 
major  and  inspector  of  small-arms  on  his  staff'.  Two  years  later,  in  June, 
1905,  Governor  Warner  of  Michigan,  appointed  him  inspector  general 
of  Michigan,  with  the  rank  of  Brigadier  General,  a  position  he  held  con- 
tinuously until  the  office  was  abolished  by  law  in  191 1,  when  he  was  re- 
tired from  active  service.  He  was  a  verj'  efficient  officer  and  while  in- 
spector of  small-arms  practice  built  the  first  modernly  equipped  rifle 
range  ever  constructed  in  the  State.  When  General  Wagner  was  first 
appointed  inspector  of  small-arms  practice,  very  little  interest  in  rifle 
practice  was  taken  by  any  one  in  Michigan,  but  through  his  persistent 
energy  and  effort  the  subject  was  brought  before  the  military  department 
of  the  state  and  an  active  interest  was  created,  and  he  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  this  branch  of  military  instruction  grow,  under  his  fostering 
care,  to  splendid  proportions,  Alichigan  becoming  one  of  the  foremost 
states  in  the  Union  in  regard  to  rifle  practice. 

Gen.  Wagner  is  a  life  member  of  the  National  Rifle  Association  of 
America,  and  was  for  eight  years  a  member  of  the  National  Board  for 
the  Promotion  of  Rifle  Practice,  a  board  that  meets  in  the  office  of  the 
assistant  secretary  of  war,  in  January  of  each  year,  and  formulates  rules 
for  the  National  matches.  He  was  deputy  inspector  of  customs  from 
July,  1889,  until  July,  1893,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  chairman 
of  the  Republican  city  committee.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Free 
and  Accepted  Alasons ;  to  the  Independent  fjrder  of  Odd  Fellows;  to 
the  Knights  of  Pythias ;  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America :  and  to 
both  branches  of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  Since  a  boy  of  fifteen 
years  he  has  been  a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Wagner  was  married  in  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  June  13,  1883, 
to  Minnie  E.  Rice,  and  they  with  their  four  children  have  a  pleasant 
home  at  No.  1009  Lincoln  Avenue.  The  children  are:  Chester  S., 
Louise  M..  Edith  D.  and  Roy  Smith  Wagner. 

Waiter  Edward  Otto.  Among  Michigan's  state  officials  whose  work 
constitutes  an  important  public  service  and  who  have  measured  up  to  all  the 
responsibilities  and  opportunities  of  their  office  is  Walter  Edward  Otto, 
actuary  of  the  State  Insurance  Department  at  Lansing. 

Mr.  Otto  is  a  native  of  Michigan,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Detroit, 
February  24,  1888,  and  though  less  than  thirty  years  of  age  has  already 
made  a  name  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  experts  in  his  line  of  work 
in  the  country.     He  is  descended  from  two  old  and  well  known  German 


1850  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

families  of  Detroit,  the  Ottos  and  the  Ewalds.  His  father  was  the  late 
Rudolph  Otto,  who  was  born  in  Germany  in  1863,  son  of  Edward  Otto, 
who  emigrated  with  his  faaiiily  to  America  in  1807,  and  located  in  De- 
troit the  same  year.  Edward  Otto  was  a  German  shoe  cobbler,  and  had 
one  of  tht  old-lime  shoe  shops  of  Detroit  for  many  years.  Rudolph 
Otto,  who  was  tour  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Detroit,  grew  up  in 
that  city,  learned  the  trade  of  machinist,  and  as  an  engineer  held  se\eral 
positions  of  responsibility  with  large  manufacturing  concerns.  His  death 
occurred  in  1893  at  the  age  of  thirty  years.  His  wife's  maiden  name 
was  Miss  Anna  Ewald,  who  was  born  in  Detroit,  daughter  of  Jacob 
Ewald.  Jacob  Ewald  was  likewise  a  native  of  Germany,  settletl  in  De- 
troit many  years  ago,  and  there  became  one  of  the  leading  mason  con- 
tractors, having  budt  many  of  the  oldtime  structures  of  the  older  city, 
including  contract  work  on  the  old  Russel  House  and  also  the  old  City 
Hall. 

Walter  E.  Otto  grew  ui)  in  Detroit,  aUcnded  the  graniniar  and  high 
schools  of  that  city,  and  his  education  was  hnished  with  a  full  course  m 
the  Detroit  University,  which  graduated  him  in  1905.  His  talent  for  ac- 
counts and  other  inclinations  had  already  decided  him  upon  work  in  the 
Held  of  insurance,  and  with  that  ambition  he  entered  the  offices  of  the 
Michigan  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  of  Detroit,  and  spent  a  year 
in  the  Actuarial  Department.  In  November,  1907,  his  service  with  the 
state  began  by  appointment  to  a  riiinor  position  in  the  Actuarial  Depart- 
ment of  the  State  Insurance  Office  at  Lansing.  After  a  short  time  Mr. 
Otto  was  promoted  chief  clerk  of  the  department,  then  was  made  assist- 
ant actuary,  and  since  June,  1910,  has  held  the  responsible  position  of 
actuary,  iiis  pronounced  ability  and  his  thorough  and  efficient  service 
in  the  State  Insurance  Departmejjt.  have  constituted  him  an  authority  in 
his  special  line  of  work.  Mr.  Otto  is  affiliated  with  Lansing  Lodge, 
No.  33,  A.  I'.  &  A.  M. 

LiKUT.  Einvi.N  RuTii\-K.\  II.WE.N'S,  of  Lansing,  dc|)Uty  state  land  com- 
missioner, has  been  identified  as  an  official  of  the  land  office  for  a  longer 
tenure  than  any  man  of  the  present  day.  Uorn  in  the  town  of  Stafford, 
Genesee  county,  New  York,  May  25,  1842,  he  is  a  son  of  William  C.  and 
Lisett  (Snow)  Havens,  natives  of  the  Empire  state,  the  father  being 
born  in  St.  Lawrence  county,  in  1805,  and  the  mother  east  of  Albany, 
in  181 1.  ']"he  parents  were  married  in  New  York,  and  in  1851  brought 
iheir  family  to  Michigan,  settling  in  Niles  township,  IJerrien  county, 
where  a  farm  was  purchased  by  the  father.  Later  the  parents  removed 
to  Cass  county,  Michigan,  where  the  father  died  in  1884  while  the  mother 
survived  some  years  and  passed  away  at  Lansing,  in  1899.  The  grand- 
father of  Lieutenant  Havens  was  .-\bner  Havens,  a  native  of  New  N'ork-. 

Edwin  Kuthven  1  laveiis  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  Berrien  town- 
ship, and  there  his  education  was  secured  intlic  district  schools.  On  June 
30,  1S62,  he  left  home  for  the  first  time,  going  Ui  tlic  neighboring  town  of 
Buchanan,  where  he  had  secured  a  position  as  clerk  in  a  general  store. 
On  SejHember  12  of  the  same  year,  he  commenced  his  military  career, 
when  he  was  accepted  as  a  member  of  ("onipanv  .\.  Seventh  Regiment, 
Michigan  Cavalry  (General  Custer's  old  brigade),  and  was  mustered  into 
the  service  as  sergeant.  He  was  later  promoted  to  first  sergeant  and  in 
June,  1865,  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant,  being  mustered  out  with 
that  rank  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  securing  his  linal  discharge 
at  Detroit.  December  28,  1865.  The  history  of  the  Seventh  Michigan 
Cavalry  is  the  history  of  Lieutenant  Havens,  for  he  was  with  it  con- 
stantly throughout  the  war,  although  after  the  campaign  which  embraced 
Gettysburg  he  was  out  of  the  line  to  some  extent,  being  on  daily  duty 


THI  HV  imK 

roBucmRAftir 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1851 

with  the  Quartermaster's  Department  for  about  fifteen  months.  After 
the  war,  reaUzing  the  need  of  further  education,  Lieutenant  Havens  took 
a  course  in  a  commercial  college  at  Ann  Arbor,  in  1866,  and  then  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  clerk  at  the  village  of  Watervliet,  in  Berrien  county. 
In  1872  lie  was  nominated,  without  his  knowledge,  by  the  Republican 
party,  for  township  clerk  of  Watervliet  township,  and  the  next  day  was 
also  nominated  for  that  position  by  the  Democrats.  His  election  was 
naturally  unanimous,  and  in  that  office  he  continued  to  serve  until  1877. 
Three  years  later  Lieutenant  Havens  was  elected  on  the  Republican  ticket 
to  the  office  of  register  of  deeds  of  Berrien  coiuity,  serving  four  years, 
and  after  his  official  term  expired  went  to  Janesville,  Wisconsin,  and 
for  three  years  clerked  in  a  hardware  store.  In  1888  he  was  appointed 
to  a  position  in  the  Michigan  state  land  office,  and  continued  there  until 
a  change  in  the  administration  occurred  in  i8gi,  when  he  was  released, 
and  at  that  time  became  a  traveling  salesman.  In  January,  1893,  how- 
ever, he  was  again  appointed  to  the  Michigan  state  land  office,  and  has 
continued  to  be  associated  with  the  department  to  the  present  time,  a 
period  covering  twenty-two  continuous  years.  Lieutenant  Havens  was 
appointed  deputy  commissioner  in  December,  1898,  and  ser\ed  in  that 
capacity  until  January,  KjOI,  when  on  a  change  in  administration,  he 
became  chief  clerk,  an  appointment  which  he  held  until  August,  19 1 3, 
when  he  was  again  promoted  deputy  commissioner.  His  long  service 
has  been  characterized  by  the  strictest  devotion  to  duty,  and  few  men 
have  rendered  their  state  more  faithful  or  efficient  labors. 

In  December,  1 87 1,  Lieutenant  Havens  was  married  to  Eliza  Ann 
Stewart,  who  was  born  at  Coloma,  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  daughter 
of  Archiliald  and  Eliza  Ann  Stewart,  and  to  this  union  there  have  been 
born  seven  children:  Lucia,  who  is  now  Mrs.  W.  C.  Mealoy  ;  Lida  A  ; 
Coral  R.,  a  teacher  of  domestic  science  in  the  Detroit  city  schools ;  Charles 
Edwin,  a  resident  of  Detroit ;  Maribelle ;  Edna,  and  Roscoe  R. 

Lieutenant  Havens  is  a  member  of  Charles  C.  Foster  Post,  No.  42, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  still  continues  to  maintain  his  alle- 
giance to  the  Republican  party,  an,d  is  widely  and  prominently  known  in 
political  circles  in  the  state.     His  home  is  at  No.  924  ^Vest  Ionia  street. 

Lloyd  Lester  Bellville.  Although  he  is  numbered  among  the 
more  recent  acquisitions  to  the  architectural  profession  in  Detroit,  Lloyd 
Lester  Bellville  may  be  accounted  one  of  the  most  promising  men  of 
his  calling  in  the  city.  He  was  born  at  Wyandotte,  Wayne  county, 
Michigan,  November  5,  1891,  and  comes  from  a  line  of  builders,  he 
being  in  the  third  generation  of  the  family  to  be  identified  with  Inulding 
and  architecture  in  Michigan.  Mr.  Bellville's  grandfather,  William  R. 
Belhille.  was  a  master  builder  in  Ohio  and  Michigan,  and  erected 
numerous  buildings  in  Wyandotte,  among  them  a  numljer  of  public 
schools  of  that  place.  His  son,  William  Bellville,  who  was  associated 
with  him  for  some  years,  is  now  a  master  builder  of  Wyandotte.  Wil- 
liam R.  Bellville  was  born  in  New  York  state,  from  whence  he  removed 
to  Wood  county,  Ohio.  During  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  in  an  Ohio 
regiment  of  volunteer  infantry,  for  service  in  the  L^nion  Army,  and  con- 
tinued to  wear  the  uniform  of  his  country  six  years.  He  was  married 
in  Ohio  to  Rebecca  Williams,  who  was  born  at  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania, 
'and  in  the  spring  of  1875  he  removed  to  Manistee,  Michigan,  although 
ten  years  later  he  returned  to  Ohio.  In  i88g  he  again  came  to  Michigan, 
this  time  locating  permanently  at  Wyandotte,  where  both  he  and  his 
estimable  wife  passed  away. 

Nelson  S.  Bellville,  the  father  of  Lloyd  Lester  Bellville,  was  born 
at  Perrysburg,  Wood  county.  Ohio,  October  18,  1861.     He  received  his 


1852  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

education  in  the  public  schools  of  Ohio  and  Michigan,  and  proved  him- 
self an  attentive  and  retentive  scholar,  and  when  he  laid  aside  his  books 
set  about  industriously  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade.  At  this  he  worked 
for  some  years,  gradually  drifting  into  the  contracting  and  building  busi- 
ness, and  continued  to  follow  that  vocation  until  coming  to  Detroit,  in 
1909,  when  he  retired  from  active  building  and  has  since  confined  him- 
self to  draughting.  The  mother,  Oda  N.  Denno,  was  born  on  her  father's 
farm  in  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  November  21,  1875,  the  daughter  of 
Peter  Denno,  a  farmer  of  Wayne  county,  and  sister  of  Oliver  B.  Denno, 
who  was  a  noted  Detroit  architect,  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  that  profession  in  Chicago,   Illinois. 

Lloyd  Lester  Bellville  was  reared  at  Wyandotte,  and  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools.  On  both  sides  of  the  family  he  had  inherited  a 
predilection  for  building  and  architecture,  and  even  as  a  schoolboy 
decided  to  become  an  architect  and  began  preparing  for  the  profession. 
As  a  lad  he  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  spare  time  around  his  grand- 
father's and  uncle's  offices,  and  even  as  a  youth  in  his  early  'teens  could 
prepare  a  very  creditable  plan.  In  1910  he  entered  the  offices  of  his 
uncle,  Oliver  B.  Denno,  and  studied  under  him  for  one  year,  when  his 
uncle  took  him  into  partnership.  In  1912,  when  Mr.  Denno  decided  to 
remove  to  Chicago,  Mr.  Bellville  purchased  the  business,  and  has  since 
continued  by  himself  with  unusual  success  for  one  of  his  years.  He 
does  general  architectural  work,  and  probably  no  other  one  architect 
has  put  up  or  furnished  plans  for  as  many  buildings  as  has  he  in  the  same 
length  of  time. 

At  Toledo,  Ohio.  May  7,  1912.  Mr.  Bellville  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Agnes  Lemeraud,  the  daughter  of  A.  Lemeraud,  of  that  city, 
and  to  this  union  there  has  come  one  daughter:  Arittie  Catherine.  Mr. 
Bellville  maintains  well  appointed  offices  at  No.  542  Mount  Elliott 
avenue. 

S.-\M.UEL  DeWitt  Pepper.  Prominent  among  the  state  officials  of 
Michigan  is  found  Samuel  DeWitt  Pepper,  of  Lansing,  assistant  attorney 
general  of  Michigan,  judge  advocate  of  the  ]\Iichigan  National  Guard,  a 
lawyer  of  established  reputation,  and  a  citizen  of  genuine  worth  and 
staisility.  j\Ir.  Pepper  was  born  near  the  city  of  London,  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, of  American  parents,  his  father,  Alexander  Pepper,  being  a  native 
of  Rockford.  Illinois,  and  his  mother,  Catherine  (Mc.\rthur)  Pepper,  of 
County  Middlesex.  Ontario.  His  paternal  forbears  were  Virginians, 
while  his  maternal  ancestors  were  of  a  Highland  Scotch  clan  of 
Argyleshire. 

.Samuel  D.  Pepper  received  his  early  education  at  Forest,  Ontario, 
and  was  an  honor  graduate  of  the  London  Normal  school,  and  an  imder- 
graduate  of  Toronto  University,  after  which  he  taught  schol  for  a  few 
years.  In  1903  he  entered  the  law  offices  of  Moore  &  Wilson  and  Cady  & 
Crandall,  of  Port  Huron,  and  later  studied  with  Phillips  &  Jenks,  also  of 
that  city.  In  1905  Mr.  Pepper  took  a  special  course  in  law  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  and  in  April,  1906,  passed  the  Michigan  State  Bar 
examination  at  Lansing  and  was  admitted  to  ]>ractice.  For  a  time  after 
his  admission  to  the  bar,  Mr.  Pepper  continued  with  Phillips  &  Jenks,  of 
Port  Huron,  making  rapid  progress  in  his  profession  in  the  meantime, 
but  in  1908  formed  a  partnership  with  Hugh  H.  Hart,  of  St.  Clair,  at  that 
time  opening  offices  at  Port  Huron  and  entering  general  practice  in  De- 
cember of  that  year.  Mr.  Pepper's  advancement  was  so  rapid  and  his 
ability  so  fully  recognized,  that  February  12,  1912,  the  then  attorney  gen- 
eral of  the  state,  now  Judge  Kuhn  of  the  Sttpreme  bench,  appointed  him 
assistant  attornev  general,  in  which  office  he  has  since  made  an  enviable 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1853 

record  and  has  represented  the  state  in  some  of  its  most  important  htiga- 
tion,  speciahzing  in  the  school,  municipal  health,  highway,  military, 
insurance,  banking,  and  probate  laws  of  the  state.  At  the  present  time  he 
is  advisor  to  the  highway  department  of  insurance,  department  of  bank- 
ing, and  military  department,  and  at  various  other  times  has  acted  in  a 
like  capacity  for  other  departments. 

Mr.  Pepper  became  connected  with  the  Michigan  National  Guard  in 
April,  1905,  and  in  September,  1908,  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant 
of  Company  C,  Third  Regiment,  Port  Huron.  He  was  subsequently 
promoted  and  commissioned  judge  advocate  general  of  Michigan  by 
Governor  Osborn,  in  September,  1912,  with  rank  of  major,  a  position  he 
has  continued  to  hold.  During  the  recent  strike  in  the  Calumet  copper 
country,  Mr.  Pepper  represented  the  state  and  defended  it  in  the  investi- 
gation of  the  strike  during  1913-14,  succeeding  in  exonerating  the  militia 
of  tlie  charges  brought  against  it. 

On  September  10,  1907,  ]\Iajor  Pepper  was  married  to  Miss  Kqtherine 
MacDonald,  of  Charlevoix,  Michigan,  daughter  of  Godfrey  MacDonald, 
and  they  have  a  daughter,  Elizabeth  Marion,  born  October  4,  1910. 
While  a  resident  of  Port  Huron,  Mr.  Pepper  was  prominent  and  active  in 
public  and  military  affairs,  and  has  so  continued  at  Lansing.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  as  is  Mrs.  Pepper,  and  fraternally  is  con- 
nected with  the  Masons,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Independent  Order 
of  Foresters,  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World. 

Howard  R.  Ford.  In  the  young  and  progressive  element  of  Bay 
City's  business  circles,  Howard  R.  Ford  has  a  place  as  member  of  the 
clothing  and  haberdashery  firm  of  Ford  &  Simon.  He  comes  of  an  old 
Michigan  family,  and  though  not  yet  thirty  years  of  age  has  established 
himself  securely  in  business. 

Howard  R.  Ford  was  born  in  Bay  City  September  9,  1885,  a  son  of 
Charles  S.  and  Ella  (Crane)  Ford.  The  Ford  family  originated  in  Ire- 
land, and  the  founder  of  the  name  in  the  United  States  settled  in  New 
York,  where  Charles  S.  Ford  was  bom.  The  latter  emigrated  to  Michigan 
as  a  young  man,  and  established  himself  in  business  as  a  clothier  in  Bay 
City.  During  his  long  and  successful  career  in  that  community  he  won  the 
confidence  of  his  associates  and  the  esteem  of  those  who  knew  him  on 
account  of  his  industry  and  honorable  dealing.  His  death  occurred  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1901,  and  his  wife,  a  native  of  [Michigan,  is  also  deceased.  Their 
three  children  were :  ]\Iiss  Edna,  a  resident  of  Bay  Cit}- ;  Howard  R. :  and 
Ella,  wife  of  George  Kolb,  Jr.,  of  Bay  City. 

Howard  R.  Ford  attended  the  graded  schools  of  Bay  City,  also  the 
high  school,  and  subsequently  spent  one  year  in  the  Military  Academy  at 
Faribault,  Minnesota,  and  one  year  at  Alma  College,  Alma.  Michigan. 
At  the  completion  of  his  studies  he  went  to  Chicago  and  traveled  on  the 
road  for  seven  years,  for  two  large  Chicago  houses.  When  he  decided 
to  enter  business  on  his  own  account,  Mr.  Ford  on  September  i,  1908, 
formed  a  partnership  with  Theodore  C.  Simon,  and  under  the  firm  style 
of  Ford  &  Simon  opened  a  haberdashery  and  clothing  establishment  at 
702  East  Midland  street.  This  venture  proved  a  success  from  the  start, 
and  the  business  has  been  constantly  improved  and  broadened  and  is  now 
one  of  the  leading  stores  of  its  kind  in  Bay  City. 

Mr.  Ford  is  a  Republican,  but  his  only  interest  in  politics  is  that  taken 
by  every  good  citizen  whose  concern  is  for  the  best  welfare  of  his  city. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Recreation  and  Bay  City  Clubs,  a  Knight  Templar 
Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  and  also  affiliates  with  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Vul.  IV— 7 


1854  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  . 

Albert  W.  Tausend.  Born  in  Saginaw  City,  August  9,  1873,  Mayor 
Tausend  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Trier)  Tausend,  the  former  a 
native  of  New  York  State,  and  the  latter  of  Saxony,  Gennany.  Jacob 
Tausend  has  for  many  years  been  a  resident  of  Saginaw,  and  was  one  of 
the  early  contractors  and  builders  of  the  city.  A  man  of  sterling  char- 
acter, he  reared  and  educated  his  family  to  be  a  credit  to  their  parents, 
and  has  held  a  high  place  in  the  citizenship  of  Saginaw  for  many  years. 
He  is  now  serving  the  city  of  Saginaw  as  director  of  the  poor,  which  office 
he  has  now  held  for  four  years.  There  were  five  children,  the  present 
mayor  of  Saginaw,  being  the  oldest,  and  the  others  as  follows ;  Jacob 
Tausend,  Jr.,  a  resident  of  the  state  of  Oregon ;  Caroline,  wife  of  Martin 
Guderitz.  "of  Saginaw;  Anna  J.,  wife  of  James  T.  Lehan  of  Saginaw; 
and  William  H.  of  Saginaw. 

.Albert  William  Tausend  had  a  public  school  education  graduating 
from  the  Arthur  Hill  high  school.  His  first  regular  employment  came  at 
the  age  of  eighteen,  when  he  became  tally  boy  and  shipping  clerk  for  the 
C.  I.  ^weet  Lumber  Company  of  Saginaw.  This  was  followed  by  six 
months  employment  as  an  advertising  solicitor,  with  the  Weekly  Jl'orld, 
after  which  the  Saginaw  Manufacturing  Company  employed  him  as  ship- 
ping clerk.  ?Ie  spent  two  and  a  half  years  with  that  company.  Mr. 
Tausend  then  formed  a  connection  with  the  Magnetic  Spring  Water  Com- 
pany of  Saginaw,  who  were  lessees  for  commercial  purposes  of  the  waters 
of  tiie  celebrated  St.  Louis  Magnetic  Mineral  Springs,  located  at  St. 
Louis,  ^Michigan.  That  was  in  1894,  and  in  a  few  years  he  acquired  a 
one-half  interest  in  the  business  with  Chas.  A.  Khuen  as  a  co-partner, 
and  since.  January,  191 1,  has  been  sole  owner  of  this  plant  for  the  manu- 
facture of  high  class  carbonated  and  flavored  beverages,  and  for  the 
bottling  and  distribution  of  the  St.  Louis  magnetic  mineral  water.  The 
product  is  distributed  throughout  Michigan  and  adjacent  states.  An 
active  Democrat,  Mr.  Tausend  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  of 
Saginaw  for  ten  years,  and  in  1912,  was  honored  with  election  to  the 
office  of  mayor.  His  entire  career  has  been  spent  in  Saginaw,  where  his 
life  and  character  are  as  an  open  book  to  the  citizens.  Fraternally  he  is 
affiliated  with  the  Masonic  Order,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  also  being 
a  member  of  the  Teutonia  Society  and  other  clubs  of  Saginaw. 

On  April  12,  1897,  he  married  Miss  Georgina  Melissa  Landon.  She 
was  born  in  Brockville,  Ontario,  a  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Anna  E. 
(Kilburn)  Landon.  The  two  children  born  to  their  marriage  are;  Albert 
Landon  Tausend,  fifteen  years  old,  and  Ann  Burr,  aged  four  years. 

Mrs.  Fi.ixt  P.  S.mitii.  By  her  contributions  to  the  Iniilding  interests 
of  l'"lint,  Mrs.  Flint  P.  Smith  has  won  the  right  to  a  jjrominent  i:)lace 
among  those  to  whom  the  city  is  indebted  for  its  growth  and  material 
advancement.  Born  September  26,  1855,  at  .Alexandria,  Genesee  county. 
New  York,  she  is  a  daughter  of  Sebe  and  Loretta  C.  (Baldwin)  Brainard. 

The  Brainard  family  is  one  of  the  old  and  honored  ones  of  New 
England,  the  founder  emigrating  from  England  and  settling  in  Connecticut 
in  colonial  times.  Harris  Brainard.  the  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Smith, 
served  as  a  colonel  in  the  Revolutionary  War  and  the  War  of  i8t2,  and 
his  descendants  have  distinguished  themselves  in  military  and  civil  life, 
in  the  professions  and  in  business.  Sebe  ISrainard  was  born  in  .Mex- 
andria.  New  York,  in  the  same  house  which  had  been  the  birthplace  of 
his  father  before  him.  lie  received  excellent  educational  advantages  and 
became  known  as  the  best  grammarian  of  his  locality,  took  an  active 
part  in  local  affairs,  and  devoted  his  activities  to  agriculture.  He  died 
May  30,  1894.  in  the  home  of  his  birth,  aged  seventy-two  years.     Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1855 

Brainard  married  Loretta  C.  Baldwin,  who  also  came  of  an  old  Con- 
necticut family  of  English  descent,  and  whose  father  was  Timothy  G. 
Baldwin  of  Revolutionary  fame.  She  still  survives  in  the  old  Genesee 
county  home,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years,  although  still  in 
good  health.  Two  daughters  were  born  to  them :  Carolina  Augusta, 
who  married  Jerome  Riddle  and  died  October  7,  1893,  at  Alexandria, 
New  York ;  and  Franc  Amanda,  of  this  review. 

Mrs.  Smith,  who  was  four  years  older  than  her  sister,  was  educated 
in  Alexandria  Seminary,  and  private  schools  of  Rochester,  New  York, 
being  given  the  best  of  advantages.  She  was  married  in  her  native  city, 
August  25,  1875,  to  Flint  Penfield  Smith,  who  was  born  at  Penfield, 
Ohio,  his  native  town  having  been  named  after  his  maternal  grandmother. 
He  was  born  September  26,  1853,  a  son  of  Hiram  and  Maria  G.  (  Pen- 
field)  Smith,  natives  of  Ohio  and  members  of  leading  families  of  the 
Buckeye  state.  His  early  education  was  secured  in  the  public  schools  of 
Penfield,  and  later  he  attended  the  schools  of  Flint,  Michigan,  to  which 
city  he  came  as  a  youth  of  fifteen  years.  On  the  completion  of  his 
literary  training  he  began  his  business  life  as  a  clerk  with  the  firm  of 
Vanepps  &  Bailey,  grocers,  with  whom  he  was  connected  several  years 
as  he  was  also  with  Smith  &  Bridgman.  In  1874,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years,  he  embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account,  securing  a  cap- 
ital of  $1,000  from  his  father,  and  after  five  years  spent  in  the  commis- 
sion business  entered  the  lumber  business  with  his  father,  under  the  firm 
style  of  Hardwood,  Smith  &  Company.  Three  years  later  his  father 
died  and  Mr.  Smith  continued  the  business  alone  under  the  style  of  Flint 
P.  Smith  Lumber  Company  until  1899.  In  that  year  he  removed  with 
his  family  to  Orvisburg,  Mississippi,  and  engaged  extensively  in  the  lum- 
ber business  in  Pearl  River  county  under  the  firm  name  of  Champion 
Lumber  Company,  a  venture  in  which  he  met  with  marked  success.  He 
continued  therein  six  years,  and  in  1905  returned  to  Flint,  where  he  lived 
a  somewhat  retired  life,  although  his  capital  was  devoted  to  real  estate 
investments.  His  interests  were  large  and  varied,  and  among  others 
included  a  directorship  in  the  Union  Trust  and  Savings  Bank  of  Flint, 
Michigan,  of  which  he  was  vice  president.  He  was  also  a  director  and 
stockholder  in  the  Meridian  Savings  Bank  of  Meridian,  Mississippi,  and 
the  Poplarville  Bank  at  Poplarville,  that  state,  was  a  man  in  whom  his 
associates  and  the  general  public  placed  the  greatest  confidence,  and  did 
much  to  further  the  interests  of  the  communities  in  which  he  lived.  He 
died  at  Flint,  April  20,  1909,  when  the  city  lost  one  of  its  most  forceful 
men.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics  and  was  active  in  civic  affairs, 
although  he  never  sought  personal  preferment  in  public  matters.  Fra- 
ternally, he  was  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Elks. 
Fie  attended  the  Congregational  church  and  was  a  liberal  contributor  to 
its  movements. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  were  the  parents  of  two  children:  Ward  B.,  now 
a  resident  and  business  man  of  Houghton,  Michigan ;  and  Gwenola,  who 
is  now  the  wife  of  Sidnev  Tucker  Jones,  of  New  York  City.  Since  the 
death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Smith  has  continued  in  the  management  and 
direction  of  his  large  estate,  and  has  shown  herself  a  capable  business 
woman.  In  1910  and  191 1  she  erected  at  a  cost  of  over  $200,000,  what 
is  now  Flint's  largest  office  building,  the  Flint  P.  Smith  Building,  named 
after  her  husband  and  erected  in  his  honor.  It  is  located  in  the  heart  of 
the  business  district  of  the  city  on  South  Saginaw  and  Union  streets,  ad- 
jacent to  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  and  the  Pere  Marquette  Railroad 
depots,  the  Interurban  Lines,  and  the  leading  hotels  and  banks.  This  is 
the  site  of  the  old  postoffice,  which  occupied  the  property  for  some  twen- 
ty-five years.     It  is  a  nine-story  office  building,  containing   164  offices, 


1856  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

with  the  most  modern  methods  of  fireproof  construction,  and  its  tenants 
are  furnished  with  every  convenience  in  the  way  of  hot  and  cold  water, 
gas,  electric  light  and  compressed  air  in  every  room,  while  elevator  serv- 
ice is  available  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night.  Mrs.  Smith  maintains 
offices  in  Room  012-13  in  this  building,  which  is  also  the  home  of  the 
Industrial  Savings  Bank.  Among  other  structures  Mrs.  Smith  erected 
the  Smith  building,  and  has  been  the  developer  of  the  most  beautiful 
part  of  the  city.  Knob  Hill.  She  is  widely  known  in  social  circles  of 
the  citv,  in  which  she  is  an  acknowledged  leader,  and  has  been  actively 
known  also  in  religious  and  charitalile  work. 

.\i.LiiX  D.  Sp.\ngli-:r.  The  oldest  produce  and  fruit  commission  mer- 
chant of  Saginaw,  Mr.  Spangler  represents  pioneer  stock  in  central  Mich- 
igan :  his  father  ventured  to  the  frontier,  and  helped  establish  civiliza- 
tion a  little  more  firmly,  and  then  sacrificed  his  life  for  his  country  dur- 
ing the  war ;  and  the  son  has  known  every  ]3hase  of  Michigan  develo])- 
ment  since  the  log-cabin  school  era.  He  has  long  Ijeen  one  of  the  most 
successful  and  substantial  Saginaw  business  men. 

In  Clinton  county,  Michigan,  Allen  D.  Spangler  was  born  September 
26,  1857,  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Philena  (Drayer)  Spangler,  natives  of  Xew 
York  State.  The  father  came  to  Michigan  and  settled  in  the  township 
of  P.ath  in  Clinton  county,  where  he  secured  some  wild  land,  chopped 
lown  the  trees  in  order  to  clear  a  space  for  his  home,  and  underwent  all 
he  hardshi]js  incident  to  existence  in  that  section  of  Michigan.  The 
iiearest  mills  were  at  DeW'itl,  and  Okamus,  and  it  was  a  regular  incident 
of  family  life  to  make  a  trip  with  ox  teams  to  these  mills,  and  Allen  D. 
Spangler  himself  when  a  boy  accompanietl  the  wagon.  It  ref|uired  one 
entire  day  to  get  to  the  mills  and  another  to  return.  Jacob  Spangler  be- 
came a  factor  in  local  politics  in  Clinton  county,  held  various. township 
offices,  and  when  the  war  came  on  enlisted  and  was  assigned  to  the  en- 
gineering corps  in  the  Union  army.  He  contracted  fever,  and  his  death 
occurred  in  a  hos])ital  in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  in  1862.  His  widow  was 
again  married  and  is  now  living  once  more  a  widow,  her  second  hus- 
band having  been  John  W'atling.  Her  home  is  now  with  her  daughter, 
lunily,  at  Lansing.  Michigan.  To  Jacob  Spangler  and  wife  were  born 
foin-  children,  Adelbert  A.  Spangler,  whose  home  is  in  Woodhull,  and 
who  is  a  prominent  farmer  in  Ingham  county ;  Perry  George  Spangler, 
a  traveling  salesman,  with  head(|uarters  in  Cleveland,  Ohio;  F.mily.  wife 
of  Edward  L.  Smith,  of  Lansing. 

Allen  D.  Spangler,  the  oldest  of  the  family,  has  the  honor  of  having 
brought  into  Saginaw  the  first  carload  of  California  oranges  and  the 
first  carload  of  liananas.  and  is  the  largest  dealer  in  country  ])roduce  and 
wholesale  commission  fruit  in  the  city.  For  the  convenient  transaction 
of  his  business  seventy-five  hundred  feet  of  floor  space  are  re(|uired. 
and  he  owns  one  of  the  most  eligible  corners  in  the  business  district,  at 
Genesee  and  North  Water  Street.  Mr.  Spangler's  early  education  was 
received  in  a  log  school  in  Clinton  county.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  his 
business  career  began,  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  George  \V.  Christian  at 
Lansing,  and  during  his  stay  at  Lansing,  he  also  attended  the  Parsons 
P)Usiness  College.  That  gave  him  a  familiarity  with  the  business  forms 
and  jJTOved  very  heljjful  in  his  subsequent  career.  His  tuition  at  busi- 
ness college  was  paid  for  out  of  his  earnings  as  a  clerk.  .Vfter  three 
rears  in  his  first  work,  he  got  a  better  place  with  .Amos  Turner,  who 
subsec|uently  moved  his  store  to  Perry,  Michigan.  Mr.  Spangler  remained 
with  Turner  four  years  and  then  returned  to  Saginaw,  and  with  his  sav- 
ings engaged  in  business  with  Darius  Diamond,  the  firm  being  known  as 
the  Diamond  Grocery  Company.     This  was  a  retail  concern,  and   was 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1857 

quite  prosperous.  After  one  year,  Mr.  Spangler  sold  out  to  his  partner, 
and  went  as  manager  for  the  Bentley  Oil  Company,  with  which  con- 
cern he  worked  for  two  years.  The  J.  T.  Bell  &  Company,  wholesale 
produce  merchants  then  gave  him  a  responsible  place  and  kept  his  serv- 
ices for  two  years.  On  leaving  the  Bell  Company,  Mr.  Spangler  engaged 
in  business  for  himself,  and  though  his  start  was  exceedingly  modest, 
he  has  developed  along  different  lines  and  built  up  the  largest  and  now 
the  oldest  wholesale  produce  business  in  Saginaw.  Until  he  got  into  this 
business  at  Saginaw,  the  largest  importation  of  bananas  had  been  one 
hundred  bunches,  which  was  considered  a  very  large  shipment,  and  only 
a  few  cases  of  oranges  were  ever  brought  in  at  one  time.  However,  Mr. 
Spangler  inaugurated  the  business  on  a  much  larger  scale,  and  with 
greater  faith  in  the  local  market,  and  brought  in  the  first  carload  of  Cali- 
fornia oranges,  and  shipped  bananas  by  the  carload.  For  many  years 
Mr.  Spangler  also  owned  and  operated  a  fine  farm  in  the  Saginaw  valley 
running  his  place  in  connection  with  his  markets.  In  1812  he  sold  the 
farm  and  his  entire  time  is  now  occupied  with  his  large  and  still  expand- 
ing produce  market. 

In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  belongs  to 
the  Saginaw  Country  Club,  and  takes  great  pleasure  in  the  game  of 
golf.  Mr.  Spangler  married  Miss  Sarah  Diamond,  daughter  of  Darius 
Diamond,  at  one  time  the  partner  of  Mr.  Spangler.  They  have  no  chil- 
dren, but  Mr.  Spangler  is  a  man  of  such  generosity,  such  love  for  youth, 
that  he  has  taken  two  children  into  his  home,  given  them  the  best  of  edu- 
cational advantages,  and  has  now  one  adopted  daughter,  IMarion  Isabelle 
Spangler. 

Clyde  Willis  Hecox.  Accomplished,  large-minded,  and  progressive, 
Clyde  Willis  Hecox,  editor  and  manager  of  the  Saint  Ignace  Enter- 
prise, has  the  distinction  of  being  the  publisher  of  the  only  Democratic 
paper  issued  in  the  Upper  Peninsula,  and  is  known  as  one  of  the  most 
popular  men  in  his  profession.  A  son  of  Charles  L.  Hecox,  he  was  born, 
June  9,  1861,  at  Vergennes,  Kent  county,  ^Michigan,  of  pioneer  ancestry. 

Charles  L.  Hecox  was  a  native  of  the  Empire  State,  coming  from 
a  family  of  considerable  prominence,  some  of  his  ancestors  having  been 
contractors  for  the  construction  of  the  Erie  canal,  their  contracts  having 
been  among  the  first  issued  for  that  great  work.  Leaving  New  York 
State  at  a  comparatively  early  age,  he  came  to  Michigan  as  a  pioneer, 
settling  in  Ionia  county,  where  he  built  and  operated  the  first  sawmill. 
Establishing  a  successful  business,  he  extended  his  interests,  and  was  one 
of  the  first  lumbermen  to  invade  the  rich  pine  forests  of  Montcalm 
county.  He  married  Miss  Linda  Ford,  and  of  the  five  children  born  of 
their  union  four  are  now  living,  Clyde  Willis  being  the  youngest  child  of 
the  household. 

Educated  in  Greenville,  Michigan,  Clyde  Willis  Hecox  was  gradu- 
ated from  its  schools  in  1876,  and  immediately  began  learning  the  trade 
of  a  printer.  Serving  an  apprenticeship  in  the  office  of  the  Green\ille 
Independent,  he  subsequently  made  his  way  to  Chicago,  where,  under 
the  regime  of  Wilbur  F.  Story,  he  was  for  a  while  employed  on  the 
Chicago  Times.  He  afterwards  worked  on  the  Louisville  Courier- 
Journal,  and  the  New  Orleans  Picayune,  gaining  both  knowledge 
and  experience  while  thus  employed.  Returning  to  Michigan,  Mr.  Hecox, 
in  company  with  Charles  R.  Stuart,  founded  the  Chippewa  County 
Democrat  at  Sault  Sainte  Marie,  and  later  was  very  active  in  the  for- 
mation of  Luce  county,  and  founded  the  Newberry  Nezvs.  He  was 
subsequently  editor  of  the  Soo  Record,  the  Soo  Nezvs,  the  Soo  Times, 
and  the  Soo  Democrat,  having  charge  of  the  latter  named  paper  first. 


1858  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

At  present  Mr.  Hecox  is  editor  and  manager  of  the  Saint  Ignace  En- 
tcrprisc,  which  has  a  circulation  of  one  thousand  copies,  and  being 
the  only  Democratic  organ  in  the  L'pper  Peninsula,  is  widely  read. 
Mr.  Hecox  has  a  perfectly  equipped  plant,  furnished  with  a  Babcock 
press,  and  a  Merganthaler  linotype.  In  publishing  and  editing  his  paper 
Mr.  Hecox  employs  four  men  all  of  the  time,  and  during  the  season 
doubles  his  office  force,  keeping  eight  men  busy. 

Politically  .Mr.  Hecox  is  a  straightforward  Democrat,  and  interested 
in  jniblic  aflairs,  in  1883-4  serving  as  village  clerk  in  the  Soo,  and  in 
1904-5-6  serving  in  Soo  as  city  recorder.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Upper  Peninsula  Press  Association,  and  fraternally  he  belongs  to  St. 
Ignace  Lodge,  No.  369,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Order  of  Masons ;  to 
the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  of  which  he  was  secretary 
for  three  years;  and  is  a  member,  and  past  chancellor  commander  of  Red 
Cross  Lodge,  No.  51,  Knights  of  Pythias.  Religiously  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Mr.  Hecox  married,  June  17,  1884,  Miss  Ella  A.  Ashmun,  daughter 
of  Edward  and  Amanda  ( Chapman j  Ashmun.  For  many  years  Mr. 
Ashmun  was  Indian  interpreter  for  the  Government  for  the  northern 
counties  of  Michigan,  a  position  for  which  he  was  well  qualified,  having 
been  well  educated,  and  speaking  several  languages  fluently.  He  was 
afterwards  in  the  lighthouse  service,  and  for  two  terms  was  postmaster 
at  .Soo.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hecox  have  four  children,  namely :  Don  M. 
Hecox,  who  married  Miss  Ethel  Howells ;  Florence  M.,  wife  of  George 
E.  Sturt;  Paul  W.  Hecox,  and  Ella  Ruth  Hecox.  Mrs.  Hecox  is  an 
active  worker  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  to  which  she  belongs,  being 
vice-president  of  the  Missionary  Society  of  Saint  Ignace,  and  a  memljer 
of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society.  She  also  is  a  member,  and  past  chief,  of  the 
Pythian  Sisters. 

Leberecht  Wasm,und.  The  Batchelder-Wasmund  Company,  cut- 
stone  contractors  and  builders,  at  Detroit,  of  which  Leberecht  Was- 
mund  is  president,  is,  from  the  point  of  its  record  of  long-continued  exist- 
ence, its  financial  responsibilities,  its  reliability  and  competence  in  per- 
formance, one  of  the  foremost  concerns  of  its  kind  in  the  state  of  Michi- 
gan. The  president  of  the  company  has  a  particularly  interesting  career 
of  accomplishment,  leading  from  a  worker  in  the  ranks  of  his  trade  to  a 
place  of  influence  and  leadership  in  the  state's  largest  city. 

.\  native  of  Germany,  Leberecht  Wasmund  was  born  in  the  Province 
of  llrandenburg,  July  14,  1863.  Charles  and  Minnie  (Miller)  Was- 
mund, his  parents,  were  also  natives  of  Germany,  the  father  born  in  1821 
and  the  mother  in  1824.  In  1868  Frederick,  a  son,  and  Gusta,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  Wasmiuid  and  wife,  left  Germany  and  came  to  America, 
locating  in  Detroit  the  same  year.  In  1870  the  rest  of  the  family  fol- 
lowed and  all  were  reunited  in  Detroit.  For  a  period  of  five  years  after 
arriving  in  that  city  Charles  W'asnumd  was  employed  in  different  occu- 
pations, and  finally  bought  a  small  farm  north  of  the  city  and  continued 
as  a  farmer  until  his  death  in  188C.    His  widow  died  in  Detroit  in  1894. 

Leberecht  Wasmund  received  his  early  education  in  the  Lutheran 
parochial  schools  of  Detroit,  and  took  his  first  commtmion  when  thir- 
teen years  of  age.  .\r\  apt  and  studious  ininil,  before  he  left  school  he 
was  frequently  in  charge  of  the  other  i>upils  as  an  assistant  teacher 
during  the  absence  of  the  regular  teacher.  It  was  his  father's  ambition 
to  educate  his  son  for  the  profession  of  teaching,  but  his  financial  cir- 
cmnstances  never  |)erniitted  of  this  course.  Instead  the  boy  left  school 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  and  began  an  apprenticeship  at  the  marble  cutting 
trade  with  Mr.  ( ilogner.  the  old  marble  man  of  that  day.     His  four  years' 


"'"^^, 


^Hy/J"    *'-U 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1859 

apprenticeship  was  followed  by  work  as  a  journeyman  cutter  for  Air. 
Glogner  until  1885.  That  year  marked  his  first  employment  for  the  old 
sand-stone  firm  of  Batchelder  &  Long,  whose  stone  yard  was  at  the  foot 
of  Brush  street  and  was  the  oldest  yard  in  the  city.  While  with  that 
firm  the  serious  illness  of  his  father  and  the  fracturing  of  a  limb  by 
his  mother  necessitated  abandonment  of  work  at  his  trade  so  that  he 
might  return  to  the  farm  to  look  after  his  parents.  While  his  home 
was  on  the  farm  until  the  death  of  his  father,  after  four  months,  Mr. 
Wasmund  resumed  work  in  the  city.  About  that  time  Batchelder  & 
Long  had  under  way  the  erection  of  what  is  commonly  known  as  the 
"Red  Stone  church"  on  the  corner  of  Woodward  avenue  and  Edmund 
place.  They  put  him  to  work  on  that  contract.  The  foreman  in  charge 
of  the  work  died,  and  Mr.  Wasmund  finished  the  job  as  foreman.  That 
is  considered  the  finest  church  edifice  in  the  city,  and  it  is  naturally  a 
source  of  pride  to  Mr.  Wasmund  that  his  connection  with  its  con- 
struction was  of  such  a  responsible  nature  and  at  so  early  a  period  of 
his  career.  Under  the  superintending  of  the  architect,  Air.  Wasmund 
also  built  Trinity,  or  the  James  E.  Scripp's  Memorial  church,  at  the 
corner  of  Trumbull  avenue  and  Myrtle  street. 

The  old  firm  of  Batchelder  «&  Reed  about  that  time  became  that  of 
Batchelder,  Reed  &  Company,  the-copipany  being  Mr.  Wasmund.  The 
original  Batchelder  dying,  his  intei^^sts  were, taken  by  his  cousin,  John  L. 
Batchelder,  and  still  later  J ohn.L.>\Vas  Succeeded  by  his  son,  Charles  L., 
and  the  firm  became  Batchelder  &  Wasmund.  When  incorporated  the 
name  was  slightly  amended  as  Batchelder-Wasmund  Company,  with  Mr. 
Wasmund  as  president ;  C.  L.  Batchelder,  vice-^president ;  Gustav  Sly- 
vester,  treasurer;  and  W.  M.  Panzlau;  secretary.  .The  stone  yard  and 
offices  are  located  at  the  corner  of  Jefferson  avenue  and  Fifteenth  street. 

The  firm  of  Batchelder  &  Wasmund  erected,  among  other  buildings 
of  importance,  the  fine  residences  of  John  B.  Ford,  Willis  E.  Buhl,  Dr. 
E.  J.  Torrey,  J.  Brooks,  Bernard  Stroh  and  many  others  of  the  very 
finest  in  Detroit  and  in  Grosse  Pointe.  The  public  buildings  erected 
by  them  include  the  following:  The  Detroit  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  the  Central 
high  school,  the  Cass  Technical  high  school,  St.  Andrews  Memorial 
church,  Dodge  Bros,   factories,  the  Herman  Kiefer  Memorial   Hospital. 

Mr.  Wasmund  was  married  in  1885  to  the  daughter  of  the  late  Stephen 
Maul.  She  was  born  in  Detroit,  and  her  parents  came  from  Germany  to 
Detroit  in  1852.  The  children  of  Mr.  Wasmund  and  wife  are  as  follows: 
Edward;  William  S.,  who  graduated  from  the  University  of  Michigan 
in  the  class  of  1910,  played  the  position  of  quarterback  on  the  Michigan 
football  team  four  seasons,  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
football  generals  in  the  middle  west,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in 
1912,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  was  acting  as  coach  for  the  football 
squad  of  the  University  of  Texas;  Alfred;  Elsa,  who  married  Capt. 
David  Davie,  of  Detroit ;  Frederick  W. ;  and  Henry,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  two  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wasmund  are  members  of  the  German 
Lutheran  church.  He  belongs  to  the  Detroit  Builders'  and  Traders' 
Exchange,  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce  and  the  Lutheran  Bund. 

Benj.\min  G.  Appleby.  Head  of  the  B.  G.  Appleby  Company,  real 
estate,  loans,  building  contractors  and  insurance,  Mr.  Appleliy  has  been 
successfully  identified  with  the  business  community  of  Saginaw  as  a 
newspaper  man,  as  a  real  estate  expert,  building  contractor,  and  as  a 
pul:ilic  spirited  citizen  all  his  active  career.  He  is  one  of  the  most  pro- 
gressive and  enterprising  real  estate  men  in  the  state  of  Michigan,  is 
probably  the  largest  operator  in  general  real  estate  in  the  state,  is  a 
liberal  advertiser,  and  not  onlv  does  a  large  volume  of  business  but  in 


1860 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 


such  a  way  that  its  results  are  for  the  pc-rmancnt  improvement  and  bene- 
fit of  the  city  and  vicinity.  As  a  medium  in  the  excliauKC  of  rcaUv  he 
leads  all  the  real  estate  men  of  Saginaw,  and  his  reputation  in  all  ines 
of  the  business  is  based  on  reliable  dealing  and  very  high  class  methods. 

Benjamin  G.  Applebv  was  born  at  Milltown.  Ontario.  January  ii, 
1874,  the  third  in  a  family  of  si.x  children.  His  parents,  Thomas  D.  and 
iMarv  J  (Smith)  Applebv,  were  both  natives  of  Ontario,  and  on  both 
sides'  the  families  have  long  been  prominent.  Grandfather.  N.  S.  Appleby, 
was  well  known  in  jiolitical  circles  in  the  Dominion,  was  a  member  ot 
Parliament  for  manv  vears,  and  was  also  a  large  timber  and  mill  operator, 
having  come  to  Ca'na'da  from  England,  where  his  family  were  of  high 
I)olitical  and  social  position.  A  cousin  of  the  Saginaw  business  man, 
Sir  Hector  Mansfield  Howell  is  a  prominent  lawyer  and  is  King's  Coun- 
cilor at  Winnipeg,  ^Manitoba,  and  other  near  relatives  were  active  in  af- 
fairs, one  lieing  a  member  of  the  Canadian  Judiciary,  and  several  others 
connected  with  the  Dominion  Government.  David  Smith,  one  of  the 
grandparents,  was  owner  of  the  Mohawk  Mills,  and  an  extensive  lum- 
ber operator  in  Ontario.  Thomas  D.  Appleby,  father  of  the  Saginaw 
real  estate  man,  was  for  a  number  of  years  an  operator  together  with 
his  father  and  brother  on  a  large  scale  in  Canada,  and  in  1889  came  to 
Michigan,  and  settled  in  Saginaw,  where  he  continued  his  lumber  busi- 
ness, as  Superintendent  of  \he  A.  W.  Wright  I-umber  Company  until 
three  years  before  his  death.  He  retired  in  1907  and  died  in  191 1,  at 
the  age  of  si.xty-seven.  His  wife,  who  was  reared  and  educated  in  On- 
tario, is  now  living  in  Saginaw  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven. 

Benjamin  G.  A])plehy  attended  school   in  Ontario,  and   finished   his 
education  after  moving  to   Saginaw,  but  left  .school  before  graduation. 
His  first  experience  was  in  newspaper  work  with  the  Saginaw   Globe, 
where  he  started  in  as  a  cub  and  quickly  proved  himself  valuable  as  an 
advertising  solicitor,  reporter,  and  all-around  newspaper  man.     Later  he 
was  connected  with  the  Detroit  Evening  Nezvs  for  seven  years  doing 
special  work,  and  on  leaving  Detroit,  became  identified  with  the  Evening 
Leader  and  Courier-Herald  at  Saginaw.     While  with  the  Courier-Her- 
ald Mr.  Appleby  devised  and  pushed  to  a  practical  business  success,  what 
is  known  as  the  "Rural   Mail  Directory,"  and  this  publication  found  a 
ready  sale,  and  has-been  a  pros])erity  maker  ever  since.     Mr.  Appleby  re- 
signed his  position  on  the  regular  newspaper  stafi"  to  give  his  attention 
to  the  publication  and  in  1902  sold  out  his  interests  in  the  directory.   Since 
that  date  his  line  has  been  real  estate,  building  contractor,  and  insurance, 
and  has  grown  from  small  beginning  to  rank  hardly  second  to  any  sim- 
ilar enterprise  in  the  state.    His  specialties  are  the  building  of  homes,  the 
sale  of  real  estate,  business  opportunities  of  improved  farm  land,  and 
a  general  business  in  loans  and  insurance.     During  the  fall  of  191-',  the 
companv  sold  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars  worth  of  Saginaw 
county  farms,  and  Mr.  Appleby  is  probably  doing  as  much  tlirough  his 
personal  contact  with  investors  and  through  his  extensive  advertising  to 
make  known  tlie  possibilities  and  resources  of  the  Saginaw  X'alley  as  any 
other  local  citizen.    His  business  has  been  built  up  on  the  basis  of  scjuare 
and  fair  dealings,  and  he  is  always  ready  to  stand  behind  every  transac- 
tion made  through  his  company.     The  comjiany  employ  the  services  of 
an  expert  iiractical  farmer,  to  give  advise  free  of  charge  to  all  customers, 
and  thus  insure  that  every  investor  and  farmer  starts  right,  provided  he 
is  not  thoroughly  informed  as  to  the  best  methods  of  handling  crops  in 
this  section  o^'  Michigan.     The  P..  C.  Appleby  Company  are  members  of 
the  Saginaw   Real  Estate  P.oard.  members  of  the   Xational  Real   Estate 
Exchange,  and  their  Saginaw  ot^ccs  are  in  the  Forester's  Temple  Puild- 
ing,  and  branch   offices   arc   maintained   in   Detroit,   Grand   Rapids,   and 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1861 

personal  agents  represent  the  firm  in  different  sections  of  Michigan, 
Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Wisconsin. 

Mr.  Appleby  is  a  director  of  the  German-American  State  Bank  of 
Saginaw,  of  the  Saginaw  Board  of  Trade,  and  of  the  Saginaw  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  In  191 1  Governor  Osborn  selected  him  as  real  estate  expert  to 
procure  a  suitable  site  for  the  Michigan  State  National  Guard,  and  in 
May,  191 1,  he  obtained  twelve  thousand  acres  of  land  for  that  purpose, 
and'  without  a  cent  of  expense  to  the  state  government.  All  local  busi- 
ness men  have  implicit  confidence  in  the  judgment  of  IMr.  Appleby  and 
his  record  is,  not  only  one  that  indicates  the  best  but  has  also  been 
accompanied  by  much  disinterested  service  to  all  his  patrons  and  to  the 
public  generally. 

Mr.  Appleby  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  Order  having  taken  thirty- 
two  degrees  in  the  Scottish  Rite  and  is  a  Shriner;  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias :  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks ;  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  East  Saginaw  Club ;  Canoe  Club  and  other  social  organizations. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  his  church  is  the  Episcopal. 

On  June  28,  1889,  at  Saginaw,  Mr.  Appleby  married  Miss  Grace  A. 
Purdy,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Augusta  (Allen)  Purdy.  Her  father 
is  now  deceased,  and  many  years  ago  came  to  Saginaw  from  New  York 
State  and  was  well  known  as  a  jeweler.  Mrs.  Appleby  is  a  talented 
musician  and  has  been  organist  in  the  various  churches  in  Saginaw.  To 
their  marriage  have  been  born  three  children :  Elizabeth  G.,  born  at 
Saginaw  in  1901,  and  now  in  the  eighth  grade  of  the  public  schools;  Ruth 
E.  DeM.,  born  in  Saginaw  in  1903,  and  attending  the  sixth  grade;  Esther 
G.,  born  in  1903,  and  in  the  third  grade  of  the  local  school. 

Fr.xncis  J.  Lee,  ]M.  D.  In  appreciating  the  relative  value  to  man- 
kind of  the  various  professions  and  occupations  to  which  individuals 
devote  their  attentions  and  energies,  it  is  the  consensus  of  general  opin- 
ion that  none  is  of  more  importance  than  the  vocation  of  the  practitioner 
of  medicine.  From  the  cradle  to  the  grave  human  destiny  rests  largely 
in  the  hands  of  the  physician,  not  alone  on  account  of  the  effect  he  may 
have  at  the  present  time,  but  because  of  the  discoveries  being  constantly 
made  in  the  field  of  his  science.  By  reason  of  his  broad  knowledge,  his 
skill  and  his  devoted  efforts  in  the  line  of  his  chosen  calling,  Dr.  Francis 
J,  Lee  holds  a  distinctive  place  in  the  ranks  of  the  medical  profession  in 
Grand  Rapids,  where  he  has  been  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  excellent  prac- 
tice for  the  past  sixteen  years.  He  is  a  native  of  Durham,  Ontario, 
Canada,  and  was  born  January  22,  1868,  a  son  of  Robert  and  Mary 
(Reinbird)  Lee. 

Ralph  Lee,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  Doctor  Lee,  was  born  in 
Ireland,  from  which  country  he  emigrated  to  America  and  became  one 
of  the  very  earliest  settlers  of  his  section  of  Ontario.  There  he  settled  on 
a  farm,  which  he  cleared  from  the  timber,  and  continued  to  be  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  throughout  the  remainder  of  his  life.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  passed  away  in  the  old  coun- 
try. Robert  Lee,  father  of  Doctor  Lee,  was  born  in  1827,  on  his  father's 
homestead,  received  a  somewhat  limited  education  in  the  primitive  schools 
of  his  day,  and  early  in  life  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter.  Gradually, 
as  the  years  passed,  he  drifted  into  contracting  and  building,  and  in  this 
line  won  much  success.  His  latter  years  were  devoted  to  farming,  and 
he  died  on  his  place  in  Ontario  in  1907,  aged  eighty  years.  In  1851  Mr. 
Lee  was  married  to  Mary  Reinbird.  who  was  born  in  Ireland  and  came 
to  Canada  in  young  womanhood,  where  she  died  in  February,  1914,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years.  They  became  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  of  whom  Francis  J.  was  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth,  seven 


1862  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

children  still  survive.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lee  were  members  of  the  Episcopal 
church.  He  was  a  Conservative  in  politics,  but  was  a  quiet,  unassuming 
man,  and  never  sought  public  preferment. 

The  early  education  of  Doctor  Lee  was  secured  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  place,  and  he  early  expressed  a  predilection  for  a  profes- 
sional career.  Accordingly,  he  was  entered  as  a  student  in  McGill  Uni- 
versity, ]\Iontreal,  Canada,  from  the  medical  department  of  which  insti- 
tution he  was  graduated  in  1896,  and  in  that  same  year  came  to  Michigan 
and  took  up  his  practice  at  Ada.  After  two  years  in  that  place  Doctor 
Lee  came  to  Grand  Rapids.  He  is  known  as  one  of  the  finest  anatomists 
in  the  state,  having  taught  anatomy  for  five  years  in  the  old  Grand  Rapids 
Medical  College,  of  which  he  was  also  secretary.  His  business  has  steadily 
increased  so  that  at  this  time  he  is  physician  to  many  of  the  best  families 
in  the  city.  A  keen  diagnostician's  sound  judgment  in  methods  of  treat- 
ment, and  marked  skill,  combined  with  an  inherent  sympathy  and  kindly 
nature,  have  won  him  rank  among  the  ablest  physicians  of  this  city.  He 
has  never  ceased  to  be  a  student  of  his  beloved  profession,  and  avails 
himself  of  all  the  aids  that  will  further  him  in  his  work  of  relieving  the 
distress  of  mankind.  Pie  has  had  post-graduate  work  in  Chicago  and 
Montreal.  He  is  also  an  interested  member  of  the  Kent  County  Medical 
Society,  the  Michigan  State  ^Medical  Society  and  the  American  ^ledical 
Association  and  served  for  four  or  five  years  as  secretary  of  the  county 
organization.  He  is  vice-chief  of  the  staff  of  the  U.  B.  Hospital,  but  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  is  devoted  to  his  private  practice.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican,  but  the  activities  of  public  life  have  held  out  little  at- 
tractions to  him.  His  fraternal  connection  is  with  the  jMasons.  in  which 
order  he  has  attained  the  Scottish  Rite  and  Shriner  degrees. 

I 

Leo  J-  RiMMELE.  Since  191 1  sheriff  of  Saginaw  county.  Mr.  Rim- 
mele  has  been  known  to  the  citizens  of  this  county  since  his  boyhood,  has 
been  recognized  as  an  industrious,  independent  man  of  action,  and  few 
ofiicials  in  the  county  have  entered  office  with  so  thorough  confidence  on 
the  part  of  their  supporters. 

Leo.  J.  Rinnnele  is  a  native  of  the  city  of  Waukegan,  Illinois,  where 
he  was  horn  November  14,  1854.  a  son  of  Ignatz  and  Chriscinia  (Laur") 
Rimmele.  lloth  parents  came  from  the  Province  of  Baden,  Germany,  to 
America  in  1848,  settling  first  in  Illinois  and  later  mo\ing  to  Milwaukee. 
There  his  father  became  foreman  in  a  warehouse,  and  lived  there  until 
the  outbreak  of  the  war.  In  the  early  months  of  the  war  he  served  as  a 
recruiting  officer,  and  then  went  to  the  front  as  captain  of  Company  F 
in  the  Forty-Fifth  Wisconsin  \"olunteers,  continuing  until  the  close.  He 
took  part  in  many  of  the  southern  campaigns  and  battles,  and  among 
others  was  a  participant  in  the  brilliant  engagement  at  Xashville,  to- 
wards the  close  of  the  war.  .After  his  discharge  he  settled  in  Saginaw, 
and  was  engaged  in  the  li(|uor  business  there  until  his  retirement.  He 
finally  returned  to  Milwaukee,  where  his  death  occurred  August  29,  1885, 
when  he  was  lifty-four  years  of  age.  His  wife  died  in  Saginaw  in  1883, 
also  at  the  age  of  fifty-four. 

The  second  of  the  four  children  in  his  parents'  family.  Leo  J-  Rim- 
mele was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Saginaw,  and  after  he  left  school  he 
started  to  earn  his  living  with  no  capital,  and  has  dejjended  upon  his  own 
efforts  to  advance  him  throughout  his  career.  His  first  business  experi- 
ence was  in  the  retail  meat  business,  and  he  learned  that  trade  thoroughlv, 
later  engaging  in  the  grocery  trade,  and  finally  sold  out  his  interests  in 
both  lines  in  1911.  Soon  afterwards,  his  ])opularity  as  a  citizen  and  his 
well  known  efficiency  as  a  man  of  action,  led  to  his  nomination  and  elec- 
tion to  the  office  of  sheriff"  of  Saginaw  county,  and  since  then  his  ad- 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1863 

ministration  has  made  him  known  and  brought  him  the  favorable  com- 
mendation of  all  classes  of  the  county's  population.  Besides  his  present 
office  as  sheriff,  Mr.  Rimmele  served  two  terms  as  supervisor,  and  as 
alderman  for  two  terms. 

He  is  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  local  Democratic  party,  and  his  fra- 
ternal affiliations  are  with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the  A.  U.  \'.  In  1884  at  Saginaw,  Mr. 
Rimmele  married  Miss  Phillipine  Bauer,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jacob  Bauer,  early  settlers  in  Saginaw. 

Floyd  E.  Andrews.  It  is  probable  that  the  law  has  been  the  main 
highway  by  which  more  men  of  merit  have  advanced  to  prominence  and 
position  in-  the  United  States  than  any  other  road,  and  it  is  not  unusual 
therefore  to  find  among  the  leading  citizens  of  a  community  a  legal  prac- 
titioner. During  the  past  seventeen  years  Floyd  E.  Andrews  has  been 
engaged  in  a  large  and  representative  law  practice  at  New  Baltimore, 
in  addition  to  which  he  has  been  well  known  in  the  business  field  and  in 
public  matters.  He  was  born  at  Bergen,  Genesee  county.  New  York, 
August  8,  1866,  and  is  a  son  of  George  J.  and  Marian  J.  (Hart)  Andrews. 

George  J.  Andrews  was  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  from  whence  he 
migrated  with  his  family  to  Michigan  during  the  early  seventies,  and 
settled  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of  Battle  Creek,  in  Calhoun  county, 
where  during  his  active  years  he  was  successfully  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  is  now  living  retired  and  makes  his  home  at  New  Balti- 
more, being  seventy-five  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Andrews,  who  also  survives 
at  New  Baltimore,  is  seventy-two  years  old,  and  has  been  the  mother 
of  four  children,  as  follows:  Dr.  George  R.,  a  successful  practicing 
physician  of  Detroit ;  Floyd  E. ;  Frank  W.,  a  resident  of  New  Baltimore ; 
and  Julius  J.,  who  died  at  LeRoy,  Michigan,  in  1894,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years. 

Floyd  E.  Andrews  was  a  small  lad  when  he  accompanied  his  parents 
to  Michigan,  and  his  early  education  was  secured  in  the  district  schools 
of  Calhoun  county,  where  he  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm.  Subse- 
c[uently  he  became  a  student  in  the  Battle  Creek  High  school,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1886,  and  at  that  time  began  his  law  studies  in  the 
office  of  Median,  Hulbert  &  Mechan,  attorneys  of  Battle  Creek.  Later 
he  went  to  Harrison,  Michigan,  where  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  No- 
vember 9,  1889,  and  shortly  thereafter  went  to  Lansing  and  established 
himself  in  practice.  For  some  time  he  was  employed  in  the  office  of  the 
Secretary  of  State,  but  in  the  spring  of  1897  left  Lansing  and  came  to 
New  Baltimore.  Here  his  devotion  to  his  calling,  his  systematic  and 
methodical  habits,  his  discretion  in  judgment,  his  diligence  in  research 
and  his  conscientiousness  in  the  discharge  of  every  duty,  have  made  him 
recognized  as  one  of  the  able  and  leading  memliers  of  the  bar  and  have 
attracted  to  him  a  large  and  constantly  growing  practice.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Macomb  County  Bar  Association  and  has  taken  an  active  in- 
terest in  its  work.  For  some  years,  in  connection  with  his  practice,  Mr. 
Andrews  has  been  engaged  successfully  in  the  insurance  and  real  estate 
business,  his  associates  in  which  have  found  him  a  man  true  to  every  en- 
gagement. A  Democrat  in  his  political  views,  he  has  taken  a  keen  and  help- 
ful interest  in  civic  matters,  and  his  five  terms  as  president  of  the  village 
of  New  Baltimore  were  marked  by  progress  and  improvement  in  the  com- 
munity's government. 

On  July  6,  1890,  Mr.  Andrews  was  married  at  Tupton,  Michigan,  to 
Miss  Winnifred  W.  Westfall,  daughter  of  Charles  G.  and  Charlotte  Jane 
(Chase)  Westfall,  a  well-known  pioneer  family  of  this  state.  Mr.  West- 
fall  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  Indians  in  the  early  seventies  in  North- 


1864  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

erii  Michigan,  while  the  mother  died  in  1909.  in  advanced  years.  Mr. 
.'\ndre\vs  devotes  the  greater  part  of  his  time  to  his  practice  and  his 
business,  but  enjoys  the  companionship  of  his  friends,  and  is  popular 
with  his  fellow-members  in  the  local  lodges  of  the  Modern  W'oodmen  of 
America  and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 

Jon.\  L.  J.\CKS()N.  .Something  over  thirty  years  ago  a  small  m.-tchine 
shop  was  established  in  Saginaw,  and  that  small  industry  was  the  original 
of  what  is  now  one  of  Saginaw's  greatest  industrial  plants,  the  Jackson 
&  Church  Iron  Works.  John  L.  Jackson,  who  originally  started  the 
business  in  1880  has  developed  his  individual  enterprises  in  proportion 
to  the  growth  of  this  industry,  of  which  he  is  now  the  president,  and  his 
name  is  connected  in  official  capacity  with  several  other  large  concerns. 
He  is  president  of  the  Herzog  Art  Furniture  Company,  and  of  five  brick 
manufacturing  plants — the  Saginaw  Brick  Company,  the  Grande  Brick 
Conipanv  at  (irand  Rapids,  the  South  Michigan  lirick  Company  at  Kala- 
mazoo, the  Jackson-Lansing  Brick  Company  at  Kives  Junction,  and  the 
North  Indiana  Brick  Company  at  Michigan  City. 

John  L.  Jackson,  whose  importance  in  the  industrial  enterprise  of 
Saginaw  is  thus  briefly  ?ndi<grt?d,was  born  in  this  city,  August  19.  1854, 
and  belongs  to  one  of  tlic -pioneer  families.  His  parents  were  Thomas  L. 
and  \'eronica  fBlatz)  j^ack.son.  His  father,  a  native  of  England,  for 
many  years  followed  tbe^sea  as  a  sailor  up  to  1852.  In  that  year  he  came 
to  Alichigan  and  settled  at  Saginaw,  and  became  one  of  the  foremost  citi- 
zens in  infiuence  and  activity...  He  was  a  farmer,  a  merchaiU,  served  as 
county  treasurer  for  four  years,  was  superintendent  of  the  county  poor 
for  thirty  years,  and  at  his  death  on  Octolier  8.  1898.  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four  Saginaw  city  and  county  mourned  his  loss  as  that  of  a  man  whose 
value  to  the  community  had  been  often  tested.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Germany,  came  to  America,  as  a  girl  with  her  father,  was  educated  and 
married  in  .^aginaw,  where  her  death  occurred  in  1881  at  the  age  of 
forty-seven.  There  were  only  two  children  and  the  other  son  died  in 
boyhood. 

John  L.  Jackson  was  reared  and  educated  in  Saginaw,  attending  the 
public  schools,  and  after  leaving  school  bis  first  experience  was  along  the 
line  which  his  father  had  followed,  and  for  one  year  he  sailed  the  salt 
seas  as  a  common  sailor.  Coming  to  the  great  lakes  he  spent  two  sum- 
mers as  a  fireman  and  engineer,  and  also  studied  in  a  private  school  dur- 
ing the  winter  months.  Perfecting  himself  in  the  trade  of  machinist 
to  which  his  abilities  and  tastes  inclined  him,  be  took  up  his  trade  as  a 
journeyman  during  the  seventies,  and  followed  this  up  to  18,80  in  different 
localities  in  the  state.  Returning  to  Saginaw  in  1880  he  went  to  work 
in  a  foundry  and  machine  shop,  and  soon  established  a  small  business 
of  his  own.  In  1894  Mr.  Jackson  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Church, 
his  present  partner,  and  under  their  combined  efforts  the  establishment 
grew  and  flourished  until  it  is  now  one  of  large  proportions,  employing 
from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  men,  and  manufacturing  machinery 
;ni<l  supplies  for  a  trade  of  much  more  than  local  character.  In  1902  the 
business  was  organized  and  incor])orated  under  the  laws  of  Michigan, 
the  three  constituent  meml>ers  being  Mr,  F.  D.  Church,  Mr.  .A.  G.  Roeser 
and  Mr.  Jackson.  In  1900  the  firm  of  Jackson,  Church  i^  Company  took 
over  the  McGregor  i<:  Jackson  Boiler  Shop,  Mr.  Church  buying  out  the 
McGregor  interest.  This  business  is  now  consolidated  with  the  Jack- 
son &  Church  Company.  Mr.  Jackson  also  has  interests  in  the  Saginaw 
Table  and  Cabinet  Company,  and  the  Saginaw  Specialty  Company. 

In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  was  alderman  two  vears  and  trustee 
of  the  Auditorium  for  five  years.     /Vt  St.  Louis,  Michigan,  on  January 


-M  Puij 


^BXl 


'.a-i 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1865 

I,  1881,  John  L.  Jackson  married  Miss  Sadie  Smith,  who  died  January  26, 
1913.  Her  parents  were  Martin  S.  and  iNIary  C.  Smith,  of  a  well  known 
family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jackson  became  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Mrs.  Edyth  M.  Ressegye  of  Saginaw,  and  the  mother  of  one  daughter, 
Mary  :  Thomas  ]\I.  Jackson,  of  Saginaw  ;  and  Mrs.  Inez  V.  Connery  of 
Saginaw. 

Henry  J.  Barber.  An  active  and  successful  member  of  Detroit's 
circle  of  contractors,  Mr.  Barber  has  been  closely  identified  with  the 
building  interests  of  Detroit  for  a  period  of  sixteen  years,  during  which 
time  as  a  contractor  and  builder  of  his  own  properties  success  has  been 
continuous  and  in  increasing  proportion,  until  at  the  present  time  he  is 
not  only  one  of  the  leading  plaster  contractors,  but  is  the  owner  of  much 
\;aluable  improved  real  estate.  His  career  is  an  interesting  one,  demon- 
strating what  industry,  perseverance,  close  application  and  pluck  will 
accomplish.  Born  in  a  log  house  on  a  farm,  receiving  only  a  meager 
schooling  so  far  as  text-books  go,  and  beginning  his  active  career  under 
adverse  circumstances,  he  has  built  up  a  large  and  growing  business 
as  a  contractor,  accumulated  a  fair  share  of  this  world's  goods  and  estab- 
lished a  reputation  as  a  contractor,  citizen  and  man  which  receives  the 
admiration  of  his  friends  and  all  who  know  him. 

Henry  J.  Barber  was  born  in  what  is  known  as  Cedar  Swamp,  Ox- 
ford township,  Oakland  county,  Michigan,  January  13,  1879,  son  of 
Richard  S.  and  Eliza  (Golf)  Barber.  Richard  S.  Barber,  the  father, 
was  born  in  Ohio,  was  brought  to  ^Michigan  by  his  parents,  who  founded 
a  home  in  Oakland  county,  where  he  was  reared  and  continued  to  live 
until  1884.  In  that  year  the  father  took  his  family  out  to  South  Dakota. 
then  known  as  Dakota  Territory,  and  took  up  two  government  land 
claims  near  Aberdeen.  His  venture  as  a  farmer  in  the  far  northwest 
was  a  disastrous  experience,  and  repeated  failure  of  crops  finally  drove 
him  back  east,  though  in  the  meantime  he  had  proved  up  one  of  his 
claims,  and  abandoned  the  other.  Returning  to  [Michigan  in  1892,  Rich- 
ard S.  Barber  engaged  in  the  carpenter's  trade,  moved  to  Detroit  and 
became  a  carpenter  contractor,  and  so  continued  for  a  number  of  years, 
but  is  now  following  a  somewhat  more  leisurely  life  and  is  in  the  employ 
of  his  son,  Henry  J.  Flis  wnfe  died  while  the  family  lived  in  South 
Dakota. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen  Henry  J.  Barber  came  to  Detroit  in  1892, 
making  his  home  with  an  aunt.  His  first  practical  work  began  in  1893 
in  the  laying  of  lath,  but  he  soon  afterwards  went  to  work  as  a  car- 
penter. In  1898  [Mr.  Barber  began  plaster  contracting,  and  from  the 
beginning  has  made  a  success  of  that  line.  For  three  years  he  was  a. 
member  of  the  firm  of  Bason  &  Barber,  since  then  has  carried  on  busi- 
ness under  his  own  name,  and  has  done  plastering  work  as  a  contractor 
on  hundreds  of  residences,  flats,  apartment  houses,  stores,  etc.  An 
important  feature  of  his  business  and  source  of  his  prosperity  has  been 
the  building  on  his  own  capital  of  difi'erent  types  of  residence  structures, 
and  he  has  erected  upwards  of  a  hundred  residences,  flats,  apartment 
houses  and  stores  for  sale  or  rent.  At  the  present  time  he  owns  and 
rents  a  number  of  valuable  pro])erties.  The  special  distinction  which 
Mr.  Barber  has  gained  in  the  building  trade  in  Detroit  is  in  stucco  work. 
He  is  probably  the  leading  contractor  in  that  line.  His  beautiful  resi- 
dence on  Pennsylvania  avenue  is  a  specimen  of  his  workin  stucco,  and 
is  the  most  attractive  home  on  that  avenue  or  in  that  section  of  the  city. 
'  Mr.  Barber  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Builders'  &  Traders'  Exchange 
and  belongs  to  Banner  Council  of  the  National  Union.  It  should  also 
be  mentioned  that  Mr.  Barber  has  probably  started  more  men  on  sue- 


1866  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

cessful  careers  of  their  own  than  any  other  contractor  in  Detroit.  At 
least  thirteen  former  employes  have  left  him  after  a  thorough  training 
in  the  business  to  take  up  contracting  independently,  and  several  of  these 
men  learned  the  trade  from  beginning  under  his  direction. 

Mr.  Barber  married  Bertha  1  lennecke,  who  was  born  at  Lake  Lin- 
den. Michigan,  daughter  of  Francis  1  lennecke.  To  their  marriage  four 
children  have  been  born,  as  follows :  Bertha  Mary,  Eleanor  Elizabeth, 
Henry  Francis  and  Harvey  I'rcderick,  but  the  last  named  died  at  the 
age  of  four  years. 

Prof.  Arthur  R.\tiii-:k.  In  one  of  the  most  difticult  of  the  learned 
professions.  Prof.  .Arthur  Rather  has  advanced  himself  to  an  enviable 
position  through  the  force  of  his  own  talent  and  industry.  Still  a  young 
man,  his  broad  learning,  his  enthusiasm,  his  devotion  to  his  chosen  fiel^ 
of  labor  and  his  undoubted  ability  to  impart  to  others  his  own  vast  store 
of  knowledge,  ha\e  gained  him  high  prestige,  and  it  is  the  consensus  of 
opinion  among  his  fellow-workers  in  the  line  of  education  that  he  is  one 
of  the  most  thoroughly  informed  instructors  in  Macomb  county.  Pro- 
fessor Rather  was  born  in  Huron  county,  Michigan,  February  3,  1S86, 
and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Bueschlen)  Rather.  His  father,  a 
native  of  Oconomow'oc,  Wisconsin,  came  to  Michigan  as  a  young  man 
and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  in  which  he  has  been  engaged  with 
some  success  to  the  present  time.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  h.andsome  proj)- 
erty  in  Huron  county,  and  is  now  fifty-two  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Rather 
was  born  in  County  Huron,  Canada,  and  accompanied  her  parents  to 
Huron  county,  Michigan,  in  young  womanhood.  She  still  survives  and 
is  forty-eight  years  old.  Henry  and  ^lary  Rather  have  four  children, 
all  of  whom  have  shown  a  predilection  for  educational  work :  Arthur, 
of  this  review  ;  Mola,  a  popular  school  teacher  of  Macomb  county  :  Selma, 
who  is  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Elkton,  ^Michigan ;  and  Howard,  now 
attending  the  Michigan  Agricultural  College,  preparing  for  an  educational 
career. 

Arthur  Rather  received  his  early  education  in  the  rural  schools  of 
Fluron  county,  spending  the  summer  months  in  assisting  his  father  in 
the  work  of  the  homestead  farm.  He  next  entered  the  Mount  Pleasant 
Normal  school,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1908,  and  this  was  sup- 
plemented by  a  literary  course  in  the  University  of  Michigan.  Thus  thor- 
oughly prepared,  he  entered  upon  his  work  as  an  educator  at  McBride, 
Michigan,  where  he  acted  in  the  capacity  of  principal  of  schools  for  two 
years,  and  then  came  to  New  Baltimore,  where  he  has  since  been  in 
charge  of  Hathaway  Institute.  .Since  assuming  hi?  jiresent  duties  Pro- 
fessor Rather  has  brought  the  entire  course  of  study  in  the  institiUe  up 
to  the  standard  of  the  course  of  the  University  of  Michigan.  He  is  popu- 
lar alike  witli  students  and  teachers,  and  few  men  have  become  better 
known  in  educational  circles  in  so  short  a  period  of  time.  At  present  he 
is  a  valued  member  of  the  educational  board  of  the  village  of  New  Balti- 
more. Although  he  has  found  no  time  to  engage  actively  in  public  affairs, 
he  has  shown  a  commendable  willingness  to  aid  movements  calculated  to 
make  for  progress,  and  his  influence  is  always  foiuid  on  the  side  that  is 
aiding  in  his  conmiunity's  welfare. 

While  a  resident  of  Blount  Pleasant,  Michigan,  in  .August,  1008,  Pro- 
fessor Rather  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Crace  \\'right,  the  esti- 
mable daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  .Arthur  Wright,  who  are  well  and  favor- 
al)ly  known  residents  of  Isabella  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rather  have  had 
no  children. 

Joseph  A.  Tromblf.v.  In  1882  when  he  was  sixteen  years  old,  Joseph 
A.  Trombley  came  to  Saginaw,  and  in  the  city  of  that  time  started  out 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1867 

alone,  almost  friendless,  and  with  only  a  few  dollars  in  ready  money, 
to  make  his  fortune.  His  was  the  start  of  thousands  of  boys,  but  though 
he  started  equal  his  attainments  have  been  much  above  the  ordinary,  and 
he  has  long  since  outdistanced  many  of  those  who  started  even  with  him 
at  the  beginning.  Mr.  Trombley  is  well  known  as  an  architect,  a  de- 
signer, a  practical  artist  in  all  kinds  of  wood  construction,  and  maintains 
a  large  plant  in  Saginaw,  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of  boats  ami  other 
classes  of  fine  woodwork. 

Joseph  A.  Trombley  was  born  at  Quebec,  Canada,  February  13,  1866. 
The  sixth  in  a  family  of  ten  children  whose  parents  were  Magloire  and 
Adela  Trombley,  his  father  and  mother  being  of  the  same  name,  but  not 
related.  Both  parents  were  born  and  reared  in  Canada,  and  the  father 
conducted  a  large  blacksmith  and  woodworking  plant  in  Quebec,  where 
he  died  in  1910  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  The  mother  passed  away 
in  1875,  when  forty-six  years  of  age. 

Joseph  A.  Trombley  was  reared  in  Quebec,  attended  the  ])arochial 
schools  there,  and  had  some  experience  in  the  shops  of  his  father,  which 
strengthened  his  inclination  and  tastes  for  what  has  proved  his  perma- 
nent vocation  in  life.  Coming  to  Saginaw  in  1882,  two  years  later  Mr. 
Trombley  set  himself  seriously  to  mastering  the  carpenter's  trade,  and 
following  it  as  a  regular  workman  for  fifteen  years. 

In  igoi  Mr.  Trombley  established  in  business  for  himself,  and  in 
Tgo6  organized  and  instituted  the  Trombley  Boat  Works,  of  which  he 
is  sole  owner.  This  establishment  not  only  builds  boats  of  different  kinds, 
but  manufactures  large  quantities  of  fancy  woodwork  for  churches,  fine 
residences  and  office  equipment.  For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Trombley 's 
reputation  as  an  architect  has  been  growing  throughout  Michigan,  and 
he  has  designed  and  supervised  the  construction  of  many  schools  and 
other  buildings  in  the  state. 

His  politics  is  Independent,  and  his  church  is  the  Catholic.  At  Saginaw 
in  1888,  Mr.  Trombley  married  Aliss  Julia  Plent,  a  daughter  of  Stephen 
Plent.  a  well  known  pioneer  of  Saginaw,  now  deceased.  Five  children 
were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trombley  in  their  Saginaw  home,  and  they 
are  mentioned,  as  follows:  Agnes,  born  in  1894,  and  died  in  1909;  Flor- 
ence, who  is  attending  high  school:  Edward,  born  in  1899,  and  also  in 
high  school;  Blanch,  born  in  1900,  and  now  the  youngest  scholar  on  the 
west  side  attending  high  school,  being  thirteen  years  of  age:  Arthur, 
born  in  1902,  and  in  the  grade  schools. 

WiLLi.^M  W.  Mountain.  As  president  and  general  manager  of  the 
Flint  Varnish  Works,  Mr.  Mountain  is  one  of  the  leading  business  execu- 
tives in  Flint  commercial  affairs.  His  success  illustrates  the  value  of 
keeping  to  one  line  of  business.  As  soon  as  he  left  college  he  entered 
a  varnish  establishment,  and  has  practically  known  no  other  line  of  busi- 
ness, except  as  an  investor  in  later  years.  He  knows  the  varnish  busi- 
ness as  a  manufacturer  and  as  a  salesman,  as  an  humble  employe  and  as 
an  owner  and  official,  and  his  success  in  that  line  has  brought  him  promi- 
nence among  the  business  men  of  the  state,  and  at  Flint  he  has  long 
been  regarded  as  a  citizen  who  performs  many  valuable  services  in  be- 
half of  his  community. 

William  W.  Mountain  was  born  at  Howell,  in  Livingston  county, 
Michigan,  November  2,  1862.  His  parents,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  New  York  State,  and  came  to  Michigan  and  settled  in  Livingston 
county  among  the  pioneers,  were  Robert  S.  and  Cecelia  (Pruden)  Moun- 
tain. His  father  was  a  contractor  and  builder  in  Livingston  county,  and 
died  at  Logansport,  Indiana,  in  1898,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five.  During 
the  Civil  war  he  went  to  the  front  with  Michigan  troops,  and  saw  active 


1868  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

service.  The  mother,  who  was  educated  and  married  in  Xew  York  State, 
died  in  Indiana  in  1903.    They  were  the  parents  of  three  children. 

William  W.  Mountain,  the  first  in  the  family,  grew  up  in  Livingston 
county,  attended  the  schools  at  Howell,  and  later  entered  the  University 
of  Indiana,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the  literary  course.  On  leaving 
college  he  entered  the  em])loy  of  the  Murphy  \'amish  Company,  at  Cleve- 
land. Ohio.  He  remained  seven  years  as  a  salesman  with  that  concern, 
and  then  became  manager  of  the  varnish  business  of  the  Sherwin-\\"il- 
liams  Co.,  Cleveland,  which  position  he  held  until  he  moved  to  Flint 
and  found  similar  employment  with  the  Flint  \'arnish  Works.  From 
the  position  of  salesman  he  has  been  promoted  from  one  responsibility 
to  another,  until  he  now  fills  the  place  of  president  and  general  manager 
of  a  million-dollar  corporation.  The  Flint  Varnish  Company  is  one  of 
the  largest  industries  in  Flint.  Its  paid-up  capital  is  one  million  dollars, 
and  the  annual  value  of  its  product  is  above  that  amount.  One  hundred 
and  sixty  persons  are  employed  in  the  factory,  with  si.xteen  in  the  office 
stafif,  and  eighteen  on  the  sales  force.  The  factory  covers  one  entire 
block  at  Hamilton  and  St.  John  streets,  and  is  a  four-story  brick  building, 
supplied  with  excellent  railroad  facilities  for  the  distribution  of  its 
product. 

In  the  political  field  Mr.  Mountain  has  never  ventured,  and  maintains 
an  independent  attitude  on  political  questions.  Fraterally  he  is  affiliated 
with  the  Masonic  C)rder  through  thirty-two  degrees  of  Scottish  Rite,  the 
Knights  Templar,  and  belongs  to  the  Mystic  Shrine,  and  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  of  which  he  is  e.xalted  ruler. 

.'\t  Howell,  Michigan,  April  19,  1S92,  Mr.  Alountain  married  Miss 
Julia  Iluck,  daughter  of  Leonard  Huck.  Her  father  is  now  deceased. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mountain  have  two  children,  Airs.  Maude  Edgecomb,  who 
was  born  at  Howell,  and  now  lives  at  Flint,  being  the  mother  of  one  child, 
William  B.  Edgecomb ;  and  Grace  M.  Mountain,  born  at  Cpnnersville, 
Indiana,  a  graduate  of  Akeley  Hall,  Grand  Haven,  and  now  attending 
Thomas'  Training  School  in  Detroit.  Mr.  Mountain  is  well  known  and 
I)opular  in  both  social  and  business  circles,  and  is  very  fond  of  outdoor 
recreation  of  all  kinds. 

August  Goes.  Now  president  of  the  C.  L.  Roeser  Company,  at  Sag- 
inaw, one  of  the  largest  retail  concerns  handling  hardware  and  farm  im- 
plements in  the  state,  Mr.  Goes  has  had  a  business  career  of  very  notable 
progress,  having  started  as  a  farm  worker,  was  employed  in  a  creamery 
in  both  his  native  state  of  Wisconsin,  and  in  Michigan,  finally  became  a 
clerk  in  a  hardware  establishment,  and  after  some  years  as  a  commercial 
traveler,  engaged  in  the  sale  of  implements,  he  became  identified  with  the 
large  concern  of  Saginaw,  of  which  he  is  now  the  executive  head. 

August  Goes  was  bom  at  Jeft'erson,  Wisconsin,  March  17,  1863.  His 
parents  were  John  'SI.  and  Mary  Anna  (Peffer)  Goes,  both  natives  of 
Germany,  where  they  were  l)orn  in  1826.  The  father  came  to  America  in 
1852,  taking  uj)  farm  land  in  Jefferson  county,  where  his  life  was  (|uietly 
spent  as  an  agriculturist  until  his  death  in  191 1.  The  mother  died  in  Jef- 
ferson county  in  1895.  There  were  six  sons  and  one  daughter  in  the 
family,  the  daughter,  Lydia,  dying  at  the  age  of  twenty  in  1893.  Hie 
sons  are:  John,  Leonard,  Michael,  all  three  of  whom  are  living  "in  \\is- 
consin;  August;  and  George  and  Henry,  both  residents  of  Montana. 

.August  Goes  was  reared  in  Jeft'erson  county,  Wisconsin,  attended 
the  local  public  schools  there,  and  imtil  he  was  twenty-two  vears  of 
age,  lived  on  a  farm.  His  next  experience  was  in  a  creamery,  and 
two  years  were  silent  in  that  work  in  Michigan.  .After  a  vear's  ex- 
perience as  a  grocer  clerk,  he  began  selling  farm  implements  for  a  Sag- 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1869 

inaw  firm,  and  three  years  later  became  a  traveling  salesman  for  the 
Aultman,  Miller  &  Company,  covering  the  state  of  Michigan  for  three 
years  with  the  well  known  line  of  implements  and  machinery,  manu- 
factured by  that  concern.  On  leaving  the  Aultman  company,  Mr.  Goes 
began  his  connection  with  the  C.  L.  Roeser  firm,  selling  farm  implements 
for  eight  years.  In  1904  he  bought  out  the  interest  of  Air.  C.  L.  Roeser, 
and  since  that  time  has  been  president  of  the  company.  The  business  was 
incorporated  at  that  time,  and  the  other  officers  are :  John  G.  Roecker, 
vice  president;  Fred  G.  Roecker,  secretary.  This  firm  does  the  largest 
business  in  this  part  of  the  state  in  the  distribution  of  farm  implements 
and  hardware  to  the  retail  trade. 

Mr.  Goes  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  is  affiliated  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  his  church  is  the  Episcopal.  At_  Detroit,  on 
August  18,  1897,  he  married  Miss  Ellen  Amelia  Versel,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  \'ersel,  the  former  now  deceased.  To  their  marriage 
has  been  born  one  son,  John  Lyman  Goes,  born  at  Saginaw,  July  (),  1900, 
and  now  attending  school. 

Albert  N.  Treadgold,  M.  D.  The  medical  profession  has  in  Tuscola 
an  able  and  popular  representative  in  the  person  of  Dr.  Treadgold,  who 
is  engaged  in  successful  practice  at  Cass  City  and  whose  professional 
laliors  extend  also  into  the  adjoining  counties  of  Sanilac  and  Huron  and 
this  demand  for  his  services  giving  adequate  voucher  for  his  technical 
ability  and  his  personal  popularity.  The  Doctor  has  not  confined  his  ener- 
gies solely  to  his  profession,  but  his  mature  judgment  and  progressive 
policies  have  led  him  into  divers  business  enterprises,  in  each  of  which 
he  has  been  successful,  the  while  he  has  made  incidental  contribution  to 
the  civic  and  material  advancement  of  the  community.  He  is  aggressive 
and  far-sighted  as  a  man  of  attairs  and  as  a  citizen  he  is  most  liberal  and 
public-spirited.  He  has  won  success  and  independence  through  his  own 
efforts  and  well  merits  the  proud  American  title  of  self-made  man. 

Dr.  Albert  Nathan  Treadgold  was  born  at  Collingsiftood,  Gray  county, 
Ontario,  Canada,  on  the  26th  of  September,  1870,  and  is  a  son  of  Edmund 
and  Alary  (Taylor)  Treadgold,  who  came  to  Alichigan  in  the  autumn  of 
1879  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Austin  township,  Sanilac  county.  The  father 
not  only  developed  one  of  the  valuable  farms  of  this  section  of  the  state, 
but  also  was  specially  successful  in  the  handling  of  real  estate,  in  which 
his  operations  were  extensive  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1902  he  removed 
from  his  farm  to  Cass  City,  and  he  li\ed  virtually  retired  during  the  last 
fifteen  years  of  his  life.  He  died  on  the  i8th  of  November,  1913,  at  the 
venerable  age  of  eighty-one  years,  two  months  and  sixty-two  days,  and 
was  one  of  the  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  this  part  of 
the  state.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  his  political  proclivities,  but  would  never 
consent  to  become  a  candidate  for  public  office.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  as  is  also  his  widow,  who  still  resides  in  Cass  City.  Con- 
cerning their  children  the  following  brief  data  are  given :  Alary  Ann  is 
the  wife  of  Anthonv  Richards,  of  Huron  county:  George  H.  resides  in 
the  city  of  Port  Huron,  this  state:  Sarah  H.  is  the  wife  of  Luther  Karr, 
of  Cass  City:  Alanton  Wright  Treadgold  is  a  successful  fruit-grower  at 
The  Dalles.  Oregon ;  Dr.  William  Edmund  Treadgold  was  graduated  in 
the  Alichigan  College  of  Aledicine  and  Surgery,  in  1892.  and  is  engaged 
in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession  at  Akron,  Tuscola  county :  Dr. 
Albert  Nathan  Treadgold,  of  this  review,  was  the  next  in  order  of  birth  : 
Fannie  Susan  is  the  wife  of  John  Henry  Waldon,  of  Detroit,  Alichigan: 
and  Clara  Alaude  is  the  wife  of  Donald  AIcArthur,  of  Lawrence,  Kansas. 

Dr.  .Albert  N.  Treadgold  was  about  nine  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
the  family  removal  to  Sanilac  county.  Alichigan,  and  there  he  was  reared 

Vol    TV-  -8 


1870  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

to  adult  age  on  the  homestead  farm,  in  Austin  township.     After  com- 
pleting the  curriculum  of  the  district  schools  he  entered  the  high  school 
at  Alarysville,  St.  Clair  county,  in  which  he  was  graduated,     'iiiereafter 
he  completed  a  course  in  the  Ferris  Institute,  at  Big  Rapids,  and  for  four 
years  he  was  found  as  a  successful  and  popular  teacher  in  the  schools  of 
Sanilac  county.     In  1894  he  entered  the  Alichigan  College  of  Medicine 
and  Surgery,  in  the  city  of  Detroit,  and  in  this  institution  he  was  gradu- 
ated as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1897,  with  the  well  earned  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.    The  Doctor  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at 
Kilmanagh,  Huron  county,  where  he  remained  four  years.     He  then,  in 
1901,  removed  to  Cass  City,  Tuscola  county,  where  he  has  since  con- 
tinued in  active  general  practice,  as  one  of  the  zealous  and  representative 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  this  section  and  with  a  clientage  of  important 
order.     He  is  a  close  student  of  his  profession  and  thus  keeps  in  touch 
with  the  advances  made  in  medical  and  surgical  science.    He  has  not  de- 
nied himself  the  most  arduous  application  in  his  profession  and  is  fully 
alive  to  its  dignity  and  responsibility,  but  his  powers  seem  to  have  no  as- 
signed limitations  and  he  has  proved  himself  resourceful  and  successful 
as  a  business  man.    His  ambition  and  courage  have  given  him  admirable 
reinforcement  and  he  has  not  been  afraid  to  put  them  to  the  severest 
tests.     Since   1912  he  has  conducted  a  successful  drug  business  in  his 
home  town ;  he  has  been  a  prominent  and  inHuential  dealer  in  real  estate ; 
he  is  the  owner  of  and  gives  his  personal  supervision  to  a  well  equipped 
lumber  yard  in  Cass  City,  the  same  controlling  a  large  and  substantial 
business;  and  he  was  one  of  the  leading  figures  in  the  organization  of  the 
Home  Telephone  Company  of  Cass  City,  in  which  he  is  a  stockholder  at 
the  present  time.     In  the  year  191 3  Dr.  Treadgold  gave  employment  to 
thirty  men  and  his  pay  roll  represented  a  total  expenditure  of  $40,000. 
His  various  enterprises,  entailing  such  an  expenditure,  had  patent  intlu- 
ence  in  furthering  the  civic  prosperity  of  Cass  City,  where  his  business 
activities  have  been  centered.     At   Bandon,  Oregon,  the  Doctor  is  the 
owner  of  326  acres  of  valuable  timber  land,  the  tract  being  close  to  the 
water  front  and  within  four  miles  of  the  village  of  Bandon.     At  Pierre, 
South  Dakota,  he  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  village  property.     In  his  home 
town  he  holds  much  valuable  real  estate,  including  his  attractive  resi-^ 
dence  property.     The  Doctor  has  been  an  indefatigable  worker,  as  even" 
the  brief  outlines  of  this  sketch  indicate,  and  from  the  time  he  initiated 
his  independent  career  up  to  the  present  he  has  had  virtually  but  one  vaca- 
tiou,  this  itself  being  a  semibusiness  trip  to  Oregon. 

In  politics  Dr.  Treadgold  gives  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party, 
and  he  holds  membership  in  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and  the 
American  Medical  Association,  besides  being  identified  with  various  fra- 
ternal and  social  organizations.  His  wife  is  a  leader  in  social,  charitable 
and  benevolent  affairs  in  Cass  City  and  is  a  most  gracious  chatelaine  of 
their  hospitable  home. 

On  the  20th  of  July,  1S97,  Dr.  Treadgold  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Lillie  Bell  Thomas,  wdiose  birth  name  was  Morrison,  she  being 
adopted  by  the  Thomases.  She  was  born  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  New 
York,  of  Scottish  lineage.  The  one  child  of  this  union  is  \'ernita  Lucile 
Carolyn,  who  was  born  at  Kilmanagh,  Huron  county,  on  the  ist  of  June, 
1899;  she  is  now  a  student  in  the  Cass  City  high  school,  as  a  member  of 
the  class  of  1917. 

Casper  Haehnle  H,  now  deceased,  was  in  his  day  a  well-kimwii 
figure  in  business  circles  of  Jackson.  As  the  founder  of  the  Haehnle 
lirewing  Company  of  Jackson,  a  concern  that  is  still  in  existence  and  is 
among  the   prosperous   industrial   enterprises   of   the   city,   Air.   Haehnle 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1871 

made  a  name  for  himself  in  Jacl<son  that  is  lasting,  and  that  reflects 
great  credit  upon  his  energy'  and  business  ability. 

Casper  Haehnle  was  born  at  Gingen,  Wurtemburg,  Germany,  on  Jan- 
uary 19,  1853,  ^"d  he  died  in  Jackson,  jMichigan,  on  February  10,  1893, 
when  he  was  little  more  than  forty  years  of  age.  His  father,  Casper 
Haehnle  I,  came  to  the  United  States  alone  in  1854,  leaving  his  wife 
and  children  in  Gemiany,  it  being  his  intention  to  send  for  them  later. 
In  1867,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  Casper  II  came  over  and  joined  his 
father  in  this  country.  The  latter  had  upon  first  arriving  here  spent 
some  time  at  Detroit,  being  employed  merely  as  a  w-age  earner.  Later 
on  he  embarked  in  the  brewing  business  here  in  Jackson,  but  he  soon 
removed  to  Marshall,  Michigan,  where  he  followed  the  brewing  business 
until  his  death  in  1869.  Meanwhile,  prior  to  his  death,  he  was  married 
again  and  his  children  had  come  from  Germany.  In  1870  the  family 
returned  to  Jackson.  Here  Casper  Haehnle  II,  with  some  associates, 
became  the  founder  of  the  Haehnle  Brewing  Company,  and  he  success- 
fully conducted  the  enterprise  then  founded  until  his  death  in  1893. 
Since  that  event  it  has  been  just  as  successfully  handled  by  his  son, 
Casper  Haehnle  III,  though  it  should  be  said- that  the  latter  was  but 
a  youth  of  sixteen  years  when  his  father  died,  and  but  eighteen  when 
he  took  charge  of  the  brewery.  The  son  has  also  added  to  the  brewing 
industry  an  ice  manufacturing  plant,  and  the  two  plaints  are  today 
ranked  among  the  most  prosperous  industries  of  Jackson. 

Casper  Haehnle  II  was  married  in  Jackson,  Michigan,  on  December 
19,  1875,  to  Miss  Mary  Baltz,  who,  together  with  five  children,  survive 
him.  The  widow  resides  at  No.  416  South  Jackson  street,  this  city,  in 
the  south  half  of  a  splendid  double  frame  house,  which  she  caused  to 
be  built  in  1901.  Mr.  Haehnle  was  a  man  of  marked  energy  and  enthu- 
siasm, and  the  possessor  of  much  enterprise  and  public  spirit.  He  was 
a  kind-hearted  man,  affable  in  manner,  and  known  widely  as  the  friend 
of  the  workingman,  often  being  known  to  provide  work  for  men  in  his 
plant  when  there  was  really  no  need  for  their  services,  so  that,  regardless 
of  the  times,  his  plant  always  ran  at  capacity.  He  had  just  completed 
the  present  spacious  brick  brewery  on  Cooper  street,  which  he  had  built 
to  take  the  place  of  a  former  frame  building  wdiich  had  burned,  when 
he  was  summoned  by  death.  The  new  property,  completed  at  an  ex- 
penditure of  a  good  many  thousands,  was  modern  in  every  detail,  and 
Mr.  Haehnle  anticipated  much  additional  business  prestige  from  its 
operation.  His  son,  then  sixteen  years  old,  two  years  later  took  charge 
of  the  business,  and  has  since  conducted  it  in  a  manner  that  reflects 
much  credit  upon  his  father  as  well  as  upon  himself.  In  the  operation 
of  the  plant  and  its  kindred  affairs  he  has  been  ably  assisted  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  J.  C.  Berger,  the  latter  being  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Mary  Haehnle, 
his' mother.  Mrs.  Berger  herself  is  especially  deserving  of  credit  for 
the  success  of  the  business,  for  immediately  upon  the  death  of  Mr. 
Haehnle  she  took  complete  charge  of  the  office  and  the  management  of 
the  business,  and  attended  to  its  every  detail  during  the  first  two  years 
before  the  son  became  old  enough  to  become  manager,  and  even  since 
the  son,  Casper  III,  took  charge  of  the  outside  management,  Mrs.  Berger 
has  maintained  complete  charge  of  the  books  and   of  the  office  work. 

Casper  Haehnle  II  was  a  valuable  business  man  in  his  community. 
He  was  a  liberal-minded  and  public-spirited  citizen,  a  kind  huslxmd  and 
father  and  a  faithful  friend.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Arbeiter  \'erein 
and  of  the  Harmonic  Society,  both  German  in  their  nature.  His  passing 
was  widely  deplored  in  and  about  Jackson,  and  a  host  of  people  mourned 
his  loss. 

The  Haehnle   family  is  one  to  which  considerable  interest  attaches. 


1872  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

and  further  facts  relative  to  their  migration  to  American  shores  and  ih.eir 
actvities  here  are  offered  in  connection  with  the  brief  facts  set  forth 
above  in  regard  to  the  business  enterprises  of  them. 

Casper  Haehnle  I  came  to  America  in  1H54,  setting  hrst  at  Detroit, 
later  going  to  Jackson,  then  to  Alarshall,  where  he  died  in  1869.  Still 
later,  after  the  death  of  the  father,  Casper  Haehnle  II  and  the  family 
returned  to  Jackson,  as  has  been  intiinated  in  an  earlier  paragraph. 

■The  widow  of  Casper  Haehnle  II  was  born  in  Detroit  on  December 
^S)  1855;  ii'id  her  maiden  name  was  Mary  Baltz.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Frederick  Baltz,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  died  when  his  daughter 
was  four  years  old,  and  of  Amelia  (Mauch)  Baltz,  also  of  German 
birth.  She  died  on  May  3,  1910.  They  were  married  in  Detroit,  and 
there  spent  their  wedded  lives.  After  the  death  of  j\Ir.  Baltz,  his  widow 
became  the  second  wife  of  Casper  Haehnle  I,  the  father  of  him  whose 
name  heads  this  review.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  widow  of  Casper 
Haehnle  II  is  a  daughter  of  the  second  wife  of  her  husband's  father, 
a  somewhat  unusual  complication.  The  marriage  of  the  elder  couple 
took  place  some  years  before  that  of  their  children. 

The  five  children  of  Casper  and  Alary  (Baltz  )  Haehnle  are  as  follows: 
Casper  Haehnle  III,  now  managing  the  brewery  business,  as  has  been 
previously  mentioned;  Amelia,  the  wife  of  William  Kast,  a  well-known 
druggist  of  Jackson,  and  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Kast  &  Hoftinan ; 
Benedict,  of  Los  Angeles,  California;  Lillian,  the  wife  of  George  E. 
Parks,  of  Chicago ;  and  Bertha,  who  married  Roy  E.  Stanley,  of  Rich- 
mond, Indiana. 

Walter  J.  Hunsaker.  For  upwards  of  thirty  years,  Walter  J.  Hun- 
saker  has  been  identified  with  Alichigan  journalism.  Since  1902  he  has 
been  the  publisher,  editor  and  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Saginaw:  Daily 
Courier-Herald,  and  by  buying  the  half  interest  of  Governor  Osborn  in 
1913,  has  become  sole  proprietor  of  this  well  known  and  influential  news- 
paper. Mr.  Hmisaker  got  his  first  experience  in  newspaper  work,  over 
forty  years  ago,  while  he  was  still  a  boy,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
ablest  and  best  known  in  his  profession  in  the  state  at  the  present  time. 

Walter  J.  Hunsaker  was  born  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  September  19,  1857. 
His  parents  were  George  T.  and  Emeline  (Coddington)  Hunsaker.  His 
early  life  was  spent  at  Carthage,  Illinois,  where  he  was  educated  in  private 
schools  and  Carthage  College.  In  1872,  in  that  town,  he  got  his  first 
acquaintance  with  practical  newspaper  work,  and  from  1879  to  1S85  was 
publisher  of  the  Creston  .RcpiibliLaii  and  Daily  Gazette  in  Iowa.  In  1885, 
Mr.  Hunsaker  was  an  editorial  writer  with  the  Alinneapolis  Journal,  and 
then  became  night  editor  on  the  Detroit  Tribune,  being  promoted  to  man- 
aging editor  of  that  journal  in  1888.  He  was  managing  editor  of  the 
Detroit  Eveninij  Journal  from  1892  to  1902,  and  in  the  latter  year  bought 
a  half  interest  in  the  Saginaw  L^aily  Courier-IJerald.  Mr.  Hunsaker 
understands  newspaper  inihlishing  in  all  its  details,  is  a  practical  man  at 
the  business  and  through  his  enterprise  has  made  the  Courier-Herald  one 
of  the  most  profitable  and  influential  jotirnals  in  the  state.  Mr.  Hunsaker 
is  president  of  the  Michigan  Republican  Newspaper  Association,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  State  Central  Committee  and  president  of  the 
Michigan  Fish  Commission.  On  October  21,  1S85,  he  married  Alma  Lyle 
Clarke,  of  Creston,  Iowa. 

Hex.  RoLLix  Harlow  Persox.  Judge  Person  has  been  for  forty 
years  a  Michigan  lawyer,  and  for  the  last  fifteen  years  identified  with  the 
bar  of  Lansing.  Besides  his  success  as  a  lawyer,  he  was  for  about  nine 
years  a  judge  of  circuit  cijurt. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1873 

A  native  son  of  Michigan,  Judge  Person  was  born  in  Livingston 
county,  October  15,  1850,  a  son  of  Cornelius  Harlow  and  Lucinda  (Staf- 
ford) Person.  Cornelius  H.  Person  was  born  in  New  York  state  in 
1822,  and  came  to  Michigan  as  a  youth  of  fifteen  years,  the  same  year 
that  Michigan  was  admitted  to  the  Union  as  a  state.  He  settled  near 
Howell,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  throughout  the  remainder  of  his 
career.  He  also  followed  school  teaching  and  was  known  as  one  of  the 
best  informed  and  best  read  men  of  his  day  and  locality.  Judge  Person 
was  reared  on  the  old  family  homestead,  and  his  father  supervised  his 
early  education.  That  training  was  so  thorough  that  by  the  time  he  had 
reached  his  nineteenth  year  he  was  able  to  pass  the  examination  and 
secure  a  teacher's  certificate.  He  was  engaged  as  an  educator  for  two 
years,  and  upon  reaching  his  majority  began  to  attend  public  school, 
paying  his  way  with  money  he  had  earned  while  teaching.  He  was  given 
a  first-grade  teacher's  certificate  in  187 1  and  in  the  same  year  was  ap- 
pointed deputy  register  of  deeds  of  Livingston  county.  In  1872  he  began 
the  study  of  law  with  Dennis  Shields,  and  in  1872-73  was  a  student  at 
the  law  department  of  the  L'niversity  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor.  The 
latter  year  saw  his  admission  to  the  bar  and  his  marriage,  and  after  the 
latter  event  he  took  his  bride  to  Nebraska,  locating  at  Republican  City, 
then  practically  a  border  town  and  the  scene  at  that  time  of  a  county- 
seat  war  and  of  numerous  Indian  troubles.  Judge  Person's  cash  cap- 
ital when  he  arrived  at  Republican  City  was  less  than  five  dollars.  For- 
tunately the  county  clerk,  who  was  also  the  register  of  deeds,  felt  the 
need  of  a  vacation,  and  hearing  of  Mr.  Person  he  offered  him  all  the  fees 
of  the  office  if  he  would  take  charge  for  a  time.  He  subsequently  lived 
in  a  dug-out  upon  a  tract  of  government  land  and  entered  into  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  at  Republican  City.  Eventually,  however,  the  grass- 
hoppeu  plague,  which  materially  injured  the  prosperity  of  that  section, 
drove  Judge  Person  back  to  Michigan,  and  at  Howell  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  in  1875. 

Judge  Person  served  as  recorder  of  Howell  in  1876  and  1877  and  as 
circuit  court  commissioner  in  1877  and  1878,  and  then  again  resumed 
practice.  In  1891  he  was  again  called  to  public  office,  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed judge  of  the  newly  organized  Thirtieth  Judicial  Circuit,  and 
served  in  that  capacity  from  February  ist  to  April  ist,  when  he  was 
elected  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  that  circuit  for  three  years.  In  1893  he  was 
nominated  by  all  the  parties  in  the  field  for  judge  of  the  same  circuit, 
and  was  elected  without  opposition  for  the  full  term,  expiring  in  1899. 
As  the  end  of  his  term  approached.  Judge  Person  decided  to  refuse  re- 
election and  since  that  time  has  practiced  in  Lansing  with  success  and 
distinction.  In  the  summer  of  1913.  just  forty  years  after  he  had  entered 
the  office  of  Dennis  Shields  as  a  student  of  law.  Judge  Person  formed  a 
partnership  with  Edward  C.  Shields,  son  of  Dennis  Shields,  and  chair- 
man of  the  Democratic  state  committee  of  Michigan. 

In  July,  1873,  Judge  Person  was  married  to  Miss  Ida  May  i\Iadden. 
daughter  of  Judge"  Madden,  of  Monmouth,  Illinois.  Four  children  have 
been  born  to  this  union :  Harlow  S.,  professor  of  Commerce  and  In- 
dustry at  Dartmouth  College:  Harry  J.,  a  successful  business  man  of 
Lansing:  May,  residing  at  home  with  her  parents;  and  Armand,  a  student 
at  Dartmouth  College. 

Albert  H.  Ryckman.  The  material  development  of  Saginaw  and 
vicinity  owes  much  to  the  ability  of  Albert  H.  Ryckman  as  a  prominent 
contractor  and  builder.  For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  structural  interests  of  this  part  of  Michigan,  and  has  to  his  credit 
a  remarkably  long  list  of  achievements  in  houses  and  large  public  build- 


1874  HISTORY  OF  .MICHIGAN 

ings.  Mr.  Ryckman  has  become  noted  for  his  good  management  in  the 
handling  of  all  contracts  committed  to  his  care,  and  furnishes  both  a  sub- 
stantial and  practical  responsibility  to  his  every  undertaking. 

Born  in  Sanilac  county,  Michigan,  October  29,  1863,  with  a  common 
school  education,  with  the  experience  as  identified  with  his  father's  farm, 
he  went  through  a  thorough  apprenticeship  there  as  a  carpenter,  and 
after  some  years  of  journeyman  work  at  Calumet  and  other  places  has  for 
the  past  six  years  been  an  independent  contractor  and  builder,  and  in  that 
time  has  the  following  record  of  practical  achievements  in  the  field  of 
construction : — the  Auditorium  Building,  the  Sommers  Brothers  factory, 
the  Strable  Manufacturing  Company's  plant,  the  Wilcox  Engineering 
plant,  the  addition  to  the  Plate  Glass  factory,  the  addition  to  the  Saginaw 
Table  Company's  plant,  the  Saginaw  Sheet  Aletal  Works,  the  Schmelzer 
apartments,  the  Schmelzer  furniture  building,  a  nine  story  structure,  the 
Germania  school  building,  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  building,  the  Wilcox-McKim 
factory,  the  Cash  Register  factory  now  in  course  of  construction,  and  a 
large  number  of  the  finer  residences,  including  the  beautiful  home  of  .Mr. 
A.  Lemke  and  many  others. 

Mr.  Ryckman  was  the  third  in  a  family  of  eight  children,  born  to 
William  and  Harriet  (Badgers)  Ryckman.  His  father,  a  native  of  Can- 
ada, came  to  Michigan  in  the  early  fifties,  and  was  a  farmer  in  Sanilac 
county  up  to  five  years  before  his  death,  when  he  removed  to  Huron 
county,  and  died  there  in  Februarj^  1910,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years.  The  mother  was  also  born  in  Canada,  and  was  educated  and  mar- 
ried in  that  state. 

Mr.  Ryckman  is  Independent  in  politics,  is  affiliated  with  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Foresters,  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
his  associations  in  Saginaw  are  with  the  leading  business  men  of  that 
city.     He  is  very  popular  and  is  well  known  in  many  parts  of  Michigan. 

In  1895  at  Bad  Axe,  Michigan,  Mr.  Ryckman  married  Aliss  Phoebe 
Spooner,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Spooner.  To  their  mar- 
riage have  been  born  six  children,  named  as  follows :  Earl,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Emerson,  who  was  born  in  1895  at  Bax  Axe,  and  is  now  attend- 
ing night  school;  Hazel,  born  at  Bad  Axe  in  1897;  Ethel,  bom  at  Bad 
Axe  in  1900;  Y'era,  born  in  1905  in  Saginaw;  Lillian,  born  in  1907  in 
Saginaw.    All  the  children  are  attending  school. 

As.\  T.  Sanderson.  Probably  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  pop- 
ular business  men  of  St.  Charles.  Michigan,  Asa  T.  Sanderson  is  a  native 
of  the  East,  having  been  born  IMay  2,  1850,  at  Fenner,  Madison  county, 
New  York,  a  son  of  William  Shakespeare  and  Rhoda  M.  (Humiston) 
Sanderson.  His  father,  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England,  came  to  the 
United  States  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  and  settled  first  in  New  York, 
where  he  attended  Casanovia  Seminary  and  was  graduated  in  law.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Empire  State,  and  followed  his  profession 
there  until  1856,  in  which  year  he  made  his  way  westward  to  Michigan. 
Taking  up  his  residence  at  St.  Charles,  he  continued  his  practice  here, 
and  also  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  on  a  large  scale,  being  equally 
successful  in  both  lines  of  endeavor.  His  career  was  cut  short  at  its  most 
promising  point,  however,  for  he  passed  away  in  1866,  when  but  thirty- 
six  years  of  age.  During  his  residence  at  St.  Charles  he  occupied  numer- 
ous positions  of  trust  and  importance  in  the  township  of  that  name,  and 
gained  and  retained  the  esteem  and  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens.  A 
pioneer  in  the  lumber  industry,  he  did  much  to  foster  its  growth  and 
development,  and  the  position  he  held  in  the  confidence  of  his  Ijusiness 
associates  was  impregnable.  jMrs.  Sanderson  was  born  in  New  York,  and 
first  met  her  future  husband  while  attending  Casanovia  Seminary.     She 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1875 

was  of  Scotch  parentage  and  was  a  lady  of  culture,  refinement  and  many 
social  graces,  and  at  the  time  of  her  death,  in  October,  191 1,  when  seventy- 
nine  years  of  age,  was  one  of  the  highly  beloved  ladies  of  St.  Charles. 
Six  children  were  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sanderson:  x\sa  T.,  Harry  H., 
Frank  E.,  Miss  Annie,  Clarence  E.  and  Fred  W. 

Asa  T.  Sanderson  received  his  education  principally  in  schoolhouses 
of  the  log  variety,  and  when  still  a  lad  began  to  assist  his  father  in  his 
operations  in  the  lumber  industry.  He  was  but  thirteen  years  of  age  and 
the  oldest  of  his  parents'  children  when  the  father  died,  and  he  became 
the  chief  support  of  the  family,  working  for  others  in  the  lumber  business 
until  he  could  accumulate  some  small  capital  and  then  embarking  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account.  In  the  meantime  he  also  carried  on  agricultural 
operations,  and  was  thus  engaged  until  reaching  his  thirty-fourth  year, 
when  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  at  St.  Charles.  He  was  the 
proprietor  of  this  business  for  thirteen  years,  following  which  he  disposed 
of  his  interests  and  for  four  years  lived  a  retired  life.  It  was  not  Mr. 
.Sanderson's  nature,  however,  to  continue  to  remain  idle,  and  in  February, 
1906,  he  established  his  present  enterprise,  which  has  developed  into  the 
most  successful  in  its  line  at  St.  Charles.  Each  of  his  ventures  has  proven 
successful,  and  his  standing  in  commercial  circles  is  accordingly  high. 
He  has  an  excellent  stock  of  the  most  up-to-date  goods,  well  chosen  for 
the  needs  of  his  large  and  constantly  growing  trade.  Mr.  Sanderson's 
business  activities  have  been  carried  on  in  such  a  manner  as  to  gain  the 
good  will  and  confidence  of  the  people,  and  like  his  father  he  has  been 
called  upon  to  fill  responsible  offices.  A  member  of  the  Republican  party, 
he  has  been  elected  to  every  position  of  importance  within  the  gift  of  the 
township,  and  served  with  distinction  as  a  member  of  the  Forty-first  and 
Forty-second  Legislatures,  where  he  supported  many  important  measures 
relative  to  the  welfare  of  Saginaw  county.  Fraternally,  he  is  connected 
with  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  the  Masonic  Blue  Lodge,  being 
the  present  master  of  his  home  lodge.  He  is  likewise  widely  known  in 
banking  circles  as  vice-president  of  the  State  Bank  of  St.  Charles. 

On  June  9.  1888.  ]\Ir.  Sanderson  was  married  at  St.  Charles,  Mich- 
igan, to  Miss  Kitty  Stewart,  daughter  of  Alfred  Stewart,  a  well-known 
pioneer  of  this  section,  now  deceased.  Three  sons  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sanderson,  namely:  Stewart  C,  born  at  St.  Charles  in  1889,  a 
graduate  of  St.  Charles  High  school,  and  now  his  father's  partner  in  the 
dry  goods  business;  Glenn  Dale,  bom  October  26,  1891,  a  graduate  of  St. 
Charles  High  school,  and  now  attending  Albion  College :  and  Lester  M., 
born  in  March,  1894,  a  member  of  the  class  of  1914,  St.  Charles  High 
school  and  now  a  student  in  the  dental  department  of  the  University  of 
Michigan.  The  Sanderson  home  is  one  of  the  handsome  and  modem 
family  residences  of  St.  Charles. 

George  Willi.\m  Stolz,  among  the  merchants  of  Saginaw,  has  the 
distinction  of  having  within  a  brief  period  of  years  built  up  the  largest 
jewelry  house  in  that  city,  and  his  establishment  is  now  regarded  as 
one  of  the  leading  stores  of  the  shopping  district.  It  is  the  place  above 
all  others  where  the  trade  in  high-class  gold  and  silver  goods  and  jewelry 
is  supplied,  and  not  only  the  equipment  but  the  management  of  the 
business  are  a  credit  to  Saginaw^ 

G.  William  Stolz  is  a  native  of  Saginaw,  bom  in  this  city  April  5, 
1862,  a  son  of  John  and  Meta  (Neumann)  Stolz.  His  father  was  born 
in  Gunsenhausen,  Bavaria,  and  the  mother  in  Mulsum,  Hanover,  Ger- 
many. The  elder  Stolz  came  to  Saginaw  in  1852,  at  a  time  when  the 
city  was  onlv  a  straggling  village,  containing  only  a  few  business  houses. 
In  1858  John  Stolz  was  married,  and  his  wife  died  March  26,  1902,  when 


1876  HISTORY  OF  .MICHIGAN 

sixty-nine  years  of  age.  John  Stolz  was  born  in  1833,  acquired  the  trade 
of  butcher  in  Germany,  and  after  coming  to  Saginaw  started  in  business 
with  limited  means  and  on  a  small  scale,  but  by  giving  the  best  of  service 
and  by  persistent  application  to  his  work,  became  highly  successful,  accu- 
mulating much  valuable  real  estate,  so  that  in  1894  he  was  able  to  retire, 
and  afterward  lived  in  the  enjoyment  of  past  labors.  His  death  occurred 
on  the  30th  of  April,  1914.  He  was  a  Republican  and  belonged  to  St. 
John's  Lutheran  Church.  There  were  only  two  children,  and  the  son 
Henry  died  in  infancy. 

G.  William  Stolz  grew  up  in  Saginaw,  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  worked  under  his  father  and  obtained  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  butchering  trade,  and  at  one  time  directed  his  studies  toward  the 
Lutheran  ministry,  attending  the  German  Lutheran  Seminary  at  Colum- 
bus, Ohio.  However,  his  career  was  finally  diverted  into  commercial 
pursuits,  where  his  inclinations  were  strongest,  and  in  i88g  he  started 
in  business  for  himself  at  412  Genesee  avenue.  His  first  stock  of 
jewelry  was  a  modest  one,  but  he  was  soon  getting  a  big  trade  and  ex- 
tending his  business,  and  for  a  long  term  of  years  has  stood  in  the  front 
rank  of  local  jewelers.  In  icjo6  Mr.  Stolz  moved  from  his  first  location 
and  opened  a  business  in  the  modern  three-story  business  block  at  the 
corner  of  Genesee  and  Baum  streets,  a  structure  especially  remodeled 
by  him.  There  he  has  a  large  and  well-lighted  store  room,  supplied  with 
all  the  equipment  and  facilities  for  his  special  business,  and  his  stock 
and  his  large  importations  are  the  best  in  the  Saginaw  valley.  A  num- 
ber of  clerks  and  skilled  assistants  are  required  in  the  operation  of  the 
store. 

Mr.  Stolz  has  undaunted  faith  in  the  future  of  Saginaw  as  a  business 
community,  and  he  built  and  owns  the  large  manufacturing  plant  occu- 
pied by  the  C.  \V.  Henning  &  Sons  Company,  a  number  of  stores  and 
office  buildings.  His  fine  home  is  at  906  Holland  avenue,  and  on  Timber 
Island,  on  the  shores  of  Saginaw  Bay,  he  has  a  fnodest  summer  home, 
where  he  and  his  family  spend  the  open  months  of  the  year. 

Mr.  Stolz  is  affiliated  with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  the  Royal  League,  the  Royal  Arcanum,  is  one  of  the  choir  singers 
in  the  Germania  Society,  and  has  an  active  part  in  social  and  business 
affairs.  In  1912  he  toured  Europe  and  the  Orient,  and  visited  the  home 
of  his  parents,  also  other  interesting  points  in  Germany  and  Austria. 
In  1913.  in  company  with  his  two  daughters,  he  again  made  a  European 
tour,  and  that  time  visited  Germany,  Austria,  Holland,  France  and  Eng- 
land. On  November  2.  1884,  Mr.  Stolz  married  Miss  Lisette  Besch,  who 
was  born  in  Saginaw,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  ^^lary  (Schenk)  Besch, 
a  pioneer  family  of  this  city,  her  father  having  been  prominent  as  a 
stone  and  marble  manufacturer.  Of  the  seven  children  born  to  their 
marriage  two  are  deceased,  those  living  being:  \'iola  Flora,  a  graduate 
of  the  Saginaw  high  school;  Florence,  also  a  high  school  graduate;  Marie, 
Harold,  and  Helen. 

John  A.  Ci-mmerer.  A  business  man  and  manufacturer  of  Saginaw, 
who  is  both  enterprising  and  prosperous,  Mr.  Cimmerer  began  his  busi- 
ness career  without  capital,  and  by  his  persevering  industry  and  ability 
has  gained  a  place  where  he  is  regarded  among  his  associates  as  one  of 
the  most  aggressive  and  far-sighted  commercial  leaders  in  the  Saginaw 
\'allev.  \\'hile  gaining  substantial  rewards  of  effort  for  himself,  he  is 
also  an  imi)ortant  factor  in  making  his  home  city  a  center  of  permanent 
business  and  industry. 

Born  in  Erie  county,  New  York,  October  9,  1862,  he  is  the  third  in 
a  family  of  five  children,  born  to  Henry  and  Phoebe  (Staley)  Cimmerer. 


* 


THE  MW  TOM 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1877 

Two  of  the  children  are  deceased,  and  the  two  still  living  are  Levi  and 
Henry.  In  1873,  the  parents  moved  to  Michigan,  settling  in  Genessee 
county.  In  that  section  in  that  year  pioneer  conditions  still  prevailed  to 
a  large  extent,  and  the  father,  who  was  a  contractor  and  builder,  was  one 
of  the  earlv  men  in  his  vocation  in  that  part  of  the  country,  and  built 
many  of  the  first  houses  in  Genessee  and  Clare  counties,  and  all  over  that 
part'of  the  state.  The  father  is  now  retired  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight, 
and  the  mother  is  seventy-four  years  of  age. 

John  A.  Cimmerer  in  early  youth  attended  the  district  schools,  and 
spent  his  nights  in  study.  At  an  early  age,  his  ambition  for  larger  at- 
tainment than  the  average  was  evidenced,  and  in  school  he  showed  his 
disposition  as  a  leader  by  keeping  up  ahead  or  close  to  the  head  of  his 
class.  The  summer  months  were  never  spent  in  idleness,  and  being  strong 
and  vigorous  at  the  age  of  eleven  years  he  took  his  place  at  the  side 
of  his  father  and  helped  in  the  heavy  work  of  the  farm.  While  working 
thus  on  the  old  homestead,  a  merchant  named  Stringer  from  Otisville 
was  attracted  by  the  evident  industry  and  capability  of  the  boy,  and  after 
a  conference  with  the  father,  secured  the  youth's  services  as  clerk  in 
the  store.  Thus  he  spent  six  months  with  the  firm  of  Stringer  &  Os- 
born.  and  the  following  year  resumed  his  studies  in  sclioel.  The  next 
vacation  was  spent  at  work  in  a  flour  mill  at  Otisville,  conducted  by  his 
cousin.  He  spent  most  of  his  time  there  packing  flour.  That  was  fol- 
lowed by  another  clerical  job  with  a  Mr.  Patton.  -and  that  in  turn  by 
work  in  a  creamery  at  Flint.  That  was  more  or  less  of  a  permanent  po- 
sition, and  he  held  it  for  considerable  time.  Then,  with  a  companion, 
he  went  to  Harrison,  ]\Iichigan,  and^  readily  found  work  in  the  lumber 
camps  of  a  big  firm  of  W.  H.  &  F.  A.  Wilson.  Though  still  a  young 
man,  he  took  his  place  as  a  sawyer  alongside  the  hardiest  and  strongest 
and  experienced  lumbermen,  and  continued  all  that  winter  in  the  felling 
of  trees  at  the  lumber  camp.  The  exposure  of  this  severe  labor  brought 
on  a  cold  and  such  ill  health  that  he  was  no  longer  able  to  stand  the 
rigors  of  a  Alichigan  winter  in  the  woods.  Leaving  the  camp  he  ap- 
proached Mr.  \\'ilson  at  Harrison,  explained  the  situation,  and  sug- 
gested that  if  given  inside  work  in  the  saw  mill  he  would  be  able  to  keep 
on  with  his  work.  He  was  therefore  given  a  position  on  what  is  known 
as  the  edger,  and  at  the  end  of  one  week  had  displaced  the  man  who 
taught  him  the  job,  and  better  still  his  health  was  in  a  short  time  entirely 
restored,  and  he  continued  at  the  lumber  camp  until  the  following  :\Iay. 
While  on  a  visit  to  his  parents  Mr.  Wilson  sent  for  him  to  take  the  man- 
agement of  the  camp  store,  and  after  that  he  remained  with  the  Wilson 
firm  for  seven  years.  That  was  followed  by  a  period  of  business  on  his 
own  account  at  Hatton  in  Clare  county,  where  he  remained  an  inde- 
pendent merchant  for  a  year  and  a  half,  selling  out  at  a  good  profit. 
He  then  resumed  service  with  Mr.  Wilson,  on  the  understanding  that  in 
case  a  proposed  deal  in  Florida  should  be  consummated  by  which  the 
Wilson  firm  was  to  begin  the  clearing  and  cutting  of  forty  thousand 
acres  of  timber,  Mr.  Cimmerer  was  to  take  charge  of  the  General  Store 
in  connection  therewith.  This  proposition  was  not  negotiated,  and  Mr. 
Cimmerer  soon  resigned  and  opened  a  general  store  at  Harrison.  _  His 
three  years  there  was  marked  by  success  similar  to  what  he  had  enjoyed 
at  Hatton,  and  on  selling  out  he  transferred  his  interests  to  Saginaw, 
and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business.  This  kept  his  energies  employed 
for  a  year  and  a  half,  and  since  then  he  has  been  connected  with  a  larger 
field  of  enterprise.  About  that  time  the  Highland  \'inegar  Company 
was  in  financial  straits,  and  a  company  was  organized  in  Saginaw  to  buy 
out  the  assets.  Mr.  Cimmerer  was  one  of  these  reorganizers  and  after 
the  purchase  had  been  made  the  other  members  of  the  syndicate  pre- 


1878  HISTORY  OF  AIICHIGAN 

vailed  upon  him  to  take  the  position  of  general  manager  of  the  concern, 
he  having  been  elected  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  company.  To 
perform  his  duties  he  removed  to  Highland,  and  at  once  took  charge  of 
the  plant.  Although  he  knew  absolutely  nothing  about  the  manufacture 
of  vinegar  and  pickling  business,  he  possessed  just  the  aggressive  tem- 
per and  the  openminded  intelligence,  which  seldom  fail,  when  confronted 
by  difficulties  that  perseverance  may  overcome.  In  a  short  time  he  had 
the  company  on  a  paying  basis,  and  the  plant  was  kept  at  H^ighland  for 
eleven  years.  In  1902,  the  entire  business  was  removed  to  Saginaw, 
large  modern  building  secured  from  the  Hoyt  Estate,  and  the  name  of 
the  enterprise  changed  to  the  Oakland  Vinegar  &  I'ickle  Company.  This 
manufacturing  concern  is  now  known  all  over  the  country,  and  its  pro- 
ducts are  sent  to  many  states.  The  particular  territory  in  which  these 
products  are  distributed  are  the  states  of  Ohio,  Illinois,  Minnesota,  Iowa, 
Nebraska,  Wisconsin  and  ^Michigan.  Mr.  Cimmerer  is  nov/  regarded  as 
an  expert  in  the  vinegar  and  pickling  business,  and  his  advice  is  often 
sought  from  outside  concerns. 

A  successful  business  man  himself,  he  has  taken  his  position  among 
the  leaders  in  commercial  affairs  at  Saginaw.  For  two  terms  he  was 
president  of  the  Saginaw  Board  of  Trade,  resigning  at  the  end  of  his 
second  term.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Park  and  Cemetery  Com- 
missioners of  Saginaw.  He  is  also  counsel  for  this  district  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  United  States  of  America.  Though  a 
Democrat  he  has  never  sought  any  honors  in  politics.  His  fraternal 
affiliations  are  chiefly  with  the  Masonic  Order,  in  which  he  has  taken  the 
blue  lodge,  chapter  and  comniandery  degrees,  and  belongs  to  the  ^iystic 
Shrine ;  also  with  the  Bene\olent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  with 
other  fraternal  associations,  is  a  member  of  the  East  Saginaw  Club,  and 
his  church  is  the  Presbyterian. 

At  Flint,  Michigan,  in  1885,  Mr.  Cimmerer  married  Miss  Mary  E. 
Requadt,  a  daughter  of  John  A.  Requadt,  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cimmerer  have  one  child:  Mrs.  Irma  May  Hubbell,  who  was  born  in 
Harrison,  Michigan,  and  now  lives  in  Saginaw,  the  mother  of  one  child, 
Mary  Elizabeth  Hubbell,  born  in  191 1.  Mr.  Cimmerer  owns  a  tine  home 
in  Saginaw,  and  a  summer  cottage  at  White  Lake,  ^^lichigan,  where  he 
and  his  wife  and  daughter  spend  their  vacations. 

Osc.-VR  R.  Kr.m'sk.  The  president  of  the  Banner  Brewing  Company 
at  Saginaw  is  a  business  man  whose  success  has  been  distinctive  and  a 
citizen,  whose  philanthropic  impulses  and  activities  have  made  his  place 
one  of  usefulness  and  honor  in  the  community  which  has  been  his  home 
since  childhood. 

Oscar  R.  Krause  was  born  at  New  Baltimore,  Michigan,  December  14, 
1859.  His  parents  Francis  and  Johanna  (Sliefert)  Krause,  both  natives 
of  Germany,  came  to  America  in  1850,  immediately  after  their  marriage 
and  coming  to  Michigan  were  among  the  first  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  Baltimore.  They  located  on  a  farm,  and  it  was  on  that  old  home- 
stead that  the  Saginaw  brewer  was  born.  Later  in  1868  they  moved  to 
the  city  of  .Saginaw,  where  his  father  took  up  mercantile  lines,  and  con- 
tinued until  his  death  in  1907  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  The 
mother  passed  away  in  Saginaw  in  1893,  when  sixty-three  years  of  age. 

His  early  training  was  in  the  public  schools  of  Saginaw,  and  with  the 
conclusion  of  his  studies  in  the  local  schools,  he  quickly  found  a  place  for 
himself  in  the  world  of  aft'airs  where  he  could  be  self-supporting  and 
where  his  energies  quickly  brought  him  success  and  influence.  In  1900 
Mr.  Krause  took  the  leading  part  in  the  organization  of  the  Banner  Brew- 
ing Company,  and  this  has  since  grown  to  be  the  largest  establishment  of 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1879 

its  kind  in  the  Saginaw  valley.  There  are  about  forty  men  on  the  pay- 
roll, and  the  products  are  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  state.  The  annual 
capacity  is  sixty  thousand  barrels.  Mr.  Krause  is  also  a  director  in  the 
German  American  Bank  at  Saginaw.  Politically  he  is  an  indepenflent 
Democrat.  His  fraternal  associations  are  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Fraternal  Order  of 
Eagles,  and  the  Arbeiter  Verein.  At  Saginaw  in  1883  Mr.  Krause  mar- 
ried Aliss  Mary  Martin,  whose  father,  Andrew  Martin,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, and  died  in  1906,  and  was  a  well  known  brewer  in  Detroit. 

Mr.  Krause  is  a  citizen  whose  effective  aid  is  extended  to  every 
worthy  enterprise  in  his  home  city.  He  is  popular  and  genial,  has  a  large 
circle  of  friends,  and  has  built  up  a  very  flourishing  business,  which  is 
regarded  as  one  of  Saginaw's  leading  industries.  Mr.  Krause  is  very 
fond  of  hunting  and  fishing,  and  on  Saginaw  River  maintains  a  private 
clubhouse,  at  which  he  spends  his  summer  vacation.  A  fine  steam  launch, 
handsomely  fitted  up  and  furnished,  carries  himself  and  his  friends  back 
and  forth  from  the  city,  and  the  club  house  is  always  at  the  disposal  of 
his  friends. 

Cecil  E.  Park.  The  high  position  occupied  by  Cecil  E.  Park  among 
the  leading  business  men  of  Flushing,  Michigan,  has  been  attained 
through  earnest  and  consecutive  etifort.  Beginning  at  the  bottom,  thor- 
oughly learning  every  detail  of  the  business  which  he  had  adopted  as  his 
life  work,  and  gradually  advancing  to  the  ownership  of  one  of  the  lead- 
ing business  ventures  of  its  kind  in  the  county,  he  has  displayed  energy, 
perseverance  and  progressive  spirit,  and  is  well  entitled  to  the  success 
which  is  his  and  the  general  confidence  in  which  he  is  held.  Mr.  Park 
was  born  in  Rose  township,  Oakland  county,  Michigan,  November  29, 
1856,  and  is  a  son  of  Mortimer  and  Cordelia  (Leland)  Park.  His  father, 
a  native  of  New  York  state,  came  to  Michigan  in  1837  as  a  pioneer  set- 
tler, first  following  farming  and  subsequently  engaging  in  business  as  a 
hardware  merchant.  In  December,  1863,  he  came  to  Flushing,  where  he 
was  active  in  public  afl^airs  and  served  as  township  trustee,  township 
treasurer  and  in  other  offices.-  He  died  in  October,  1905,  at  Flushing,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  Mr.  Park  was  a  Republican  and  a  loyal, 
trustworthy  and  public-spirited  citizen.  During  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted 
for  service  in  the  Eighth  Michigan  Battery,  but  after  about  one  year 
received  his  honorable  discharge  on  account  of  disability,  having  con- 
tracted illness  in  Mississippi.  Mr.  Park  married  Miss  Cordelia  Leland, 
who  was  born  in  Michigan,  a  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Leland,  a  Michigan 
pioneer  of  French  descent.  Mrs.  Park  died  in  1903,  at  the  age  of  si.xty- 
eight  years,  at  Flushing,  the  mother  of  five  children,  of  whom  three  are 
jiving:  Cecil  E. ;  Catherine,  a  resident  of  Flushing;  and  Preston,  whose 
home  is  at  Flint. 

Cecil  E.  Park  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Flushing, 
which  he  attended  until  reaching  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  His  first 
position  was  in  the  tinshop  of  his  father's  business,  where  he  learned  the 
tinner's  trade,  following  which  he  entered  his  father's  store  and  there 
thoroughly  familiarized  himself  with  every  detail  of  the  hardware  busi- 
ness. From  1883  until  about  five  years  before  his  father's  death  he  was 
associated  in  business  with  the  elder  man,  and  then  purchased  his  inter- 
est and  has  continued  to  carry  on  the  business  alone.  This  has  proven  a 
decidedly  successful  enterprise,  the  annual  business  done  amounting  to 
between  $12,000  and  $15,000.  To  be  recognized  as  a  useful  and  con- 
structive citizen  of  a  community  in  these  modern  days  of  intelligent  com- 
petition, means  something,  and  investigation  usually  discloses  that  an 
individual  so  brought  forward  beyond  his  fellows  possesses  abilities  and 


1880  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAX 

qualitications  of  a  higli  order.  Such  at  any  rate  is  the  case  with  Air.  Park, 
for  his  activities  are  carried  on  in  an  ahle  and  businesslike  manner,  and 
through  honorable  dealing  he  has  w'on  the  high  esteem  of  those  with  whom 
he  has  been  brought  into  contact.  P'olitically  a  Republican,  he  has  served 
as  township  clerk  for  seven  years.  He  is  treasurer  of  Alasonic  Blue  Lodge 
Xo.  223,  belongs  to  Flushing  Chapter,  and  is  a  Pythian  Knight. 

^Ir.  Park  was  married  at  Burlington,  Kansas,  in  1886,  to  ]\liss  Susan 
Stoutemyre,  a  native  of  Ohio  and  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Stoutemyre.  They 
have  had  no  children. 

\\'iLi.i.\M  Simpson.  The  president  and  proprietor  of  the  \\'illiams 
Simpson  Ice  &  Coal  Company  at  Saginaw,  is  an  example  of  the  man  who 
starts  out  with  absolutely  no  capital  only  his  individual  ability  and  judg- 
ment to  help  him  in  the  world,  and  who  finally  reaches  a  place  of  inde- 
pendence and  secure  prosperity. 

William  Simpson  was  born  in  Saginaw.  September  26,  1867,  and  be- 
longs to  a  family  of  old  settlers  in  this  vicinity.  His  parents  were  James 
and  Mary  ( Butcher )  Simpson.  His  father,  a  native  of  England  came  to 
Alichigan  when  a  boy,  and  engaged  in  farming  in  Gratiot  county,  where 
he  still  resides  at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  The  mother  died  in  1878 
when  thirty  years  of  age.  There  were  five  children,  of  whom  William 
was  the  second. 

After  leaving  the  public  schools  of  ^Michigan,  which  gave  him  all  his 
school  advantages,  he  got  his  first  experience  in  the  milling  business  and 
then  became  identified  with  the  ice  and  coal  trade.  His  present  enter- 
prise was  started  in  1893,  on  a  very  small  scale,  and  has  been  developed 
by  good  management.  Two  wagons  are  used  in  the  distribution  of  the 
products  handled.  There  is  a  large  ice  and  storage  plant  owned  by  the 
firm  on  Hess  Avenue.  Mr.  Simpson  has  taken  considerable  part  in 
political  affairs,  has  served  two  terms  as  school  inspector  and  is  an  active 
Democrat.     His  fraternal  relations  are  with  the  Royal  Arcanum. 

In  October,  1893,  in  Saginaw,  Mr.  Simpson  married  Celinda  Stebbins, 
a  daughter  of  Frank  Stebbins.  who  still  lives  in  Saginaw.  Both  her  par- 
ents were  born  in  Maine,  and  have  lived  in  Saginaw  for  the  past  forty 
years,  her  father  being  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war.  The  only  child  of 
their  marriage  is  Howard  Simpson,  born  at  Saginaw  in  1903,  and  now 
attending  school. 

Anthony  W.  Bartak.  There  is  something  inspiring  in  the  life  story 
of  a  man  who  has  fought  his  way  over  obstacles  and  through  difficulties 
to  prominence  and  prosperity,  and  at  the  same  time  achieved  no  less  for 
his  community  than  for  himself.  The  very  existence  of  some  of  our 
most  prosperous  cities  rests  upon  the  activities  and  accomplishments  of 
his  class.  To  labor  long  and  faithfully  and  by  so  laboring  win  success  is 
a  noteworthy*  personal  distinction,  but  to  contribute  at  the  same  time  to 
the  wealth  and  welfare  of  a  growing  city  is  to  typify  the  best  that  lies  in 
American  citizenship.  Traverse  City  has  become  one  of  the  most  thriv- 
ing and  enterprising  commercial  and  industrial  centers  of  Western  Mich- 
igan, and  its  prestige  in  the  business  world  is  due  to  the  efforts  of  such 
men  as  Anthony  W.  Bartak.  His  activities  in  advancing  the  material  in- 
terests of  the  city  are  so  widely  known  that  they  can  be  considered  as  no 
secondary  part  of  his  career  of  signal  usefulness.  He  belongs  to  that 
class  of  representative  Americans  who,  while  gaining  individual  success, 
also  promote  the  public  prosperity.  His  place  is  foremost  among  those 
individuals  who  have  conferred  honor  and  dignity  upon  the  comnninity 
no  less  by  his  well  managed  business  interests  than  by  his  upright  and 
honorable  life. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1881 

Born  in  Grand  Traverse  county,  Michigan,  May  22,  1858,  Mr.  Bartak 
is  a  son  of  Wenzil  and  Lucy  (Vitzpalikj  Bartak,  natives  of  Austria,  who 
emigrated  to  the  L'nited  States  in  1853.  While  on  their  way  from  New 
York  City  to  Chicago,  occurred  the  death  of  their  then  only  child,  Eliz- 
abeth, aged  six  years,  at  Rochester,  New  York,  and  these  people,  strangers 
in  a  strange  land  whose  language  they  were  unable  to  speak,  were  com- 
pelled to  leave  their  little  daughter  behind  and  to  journey  on  to  their  desti- 
nation. After  a  short  stay  in  Chicago  they  came  on  to  Grand  Traverse 
county,  Michigan,  and  here  took  up  wdd  land,  intending  to  engage  in  farm- 
ing. This  property,  however,  proved  worthless  the  soil  being  principally 
sand,  after  a  hopeless  struggle  of  nine  years  they  purchased  another  prop- 
erty, four  miles  from  the  present  city  limits  of  Traverse  City,  where  they 
were  located  for  more  than  ten  years.  The  father,  a  cabinet  maker  by 
trade,  worked  at  that  vocation  during  the  winter  months  and  thus  added 
materially  to  the  family  income.  In  1873  the  family  moved  to  Traverse 
City,  where  the  elder  Bartak  engaged  in  undertaking,  and  continued  in 
this  business  until  his  retirement  in  1893.  He  died  in  1908,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-three  years,  after  a  lifetime  of  hard  work  and  honest  labor,  in 
which  he  gained  and  retained  the  universal  respect  and  esteem  of  the 
community.  Airs.  Bartak  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years, 
having  been  the  mother  of  six  children :  Elizabeth,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  six  years;  Anna,  who  was  seven  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  death: 
Amelia,  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Votruba,  a  leading  merchant  of 
Traverse  City;  Anthony;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Charles  Wilhelm,  also  a 
merchant;  and  Matilda,  who  studied  music  at  Florence  and  Berlin,  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Boston  Conservatory  of  Music,  is  now  teaching  music  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  is  the  widow  of  Angus  McAIanus  who  was  engaged  in 
the  general  merchandise  business  at  Traverse  City*  until  his  sudden  death. 

After  attending  the  graded  and  high  schools  of  Traverse  City,  to  the 
age  of  seventeen  years,  Anthony  W.  Bartak  assisted  his  parents  on  the 
home  farm  until  eighteen.  He  then  became  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  Mrs. 
George  Furtsch,  and  two  years  later  married  her  daughter.  In  1880  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Charles  Wilhelm  and  Frank  Votruba,  brothers- 
in-law,  engaging  in  the  grocery  and  harness  business  in  a  modest  way 
under  the  tirm  style  of  Wilhelm,  Bartak  &  Company,  which  was  destined 
to  become  one  of  the  leading  enterprises  of  Traverse  City.  The  business 
steadily  prospered,  and  in  1890  the  tirm  built  one  of  the  finest  business 
blocks  in  the  city,  known  as  the  City  Opera  House  Block,  which  con- 
tained, in  addition  to  the  opera  house  and  office  quarters,  three  stores, 
which  constituted  the  lower  floor,  and  two  of  which  were  occupied  by  the 
firm,  one  for  the  harness  and  saddlery  business  and  the  other  for  the 
grocery  establishment.  This  building  cost  twenty-five  thousand  dollars, 
and  the  company  employed  from  ten  to  twelve  clerks.  In  1904  Mr. 
\'otruba  withdrew  from  the  firm  to  continue  in  the  harness  business,  and 
Wilhelm  and  Bartak  under  the  firm  name  of  Wilhelm,  Bartak  &  Com- 
pany, continued  to  devote  their  attention  to  the  large  grocery  trade.  A 
large  loss  by  fire  was  sustained  in  1906  and  in  the  following  year  the 
partnership  was  dissolved,  at  which  time  Mr.  Bartak  erected  a  new 
block  and  engaged  in  business  at  146-148  Front  street,  with  his  son 
Edward  E.,  as  junior  partner  under  the  firm  name  of  A.  W.  Bartak  & 
Son.  Under  the  popular  name  The  Majestic,  this  has  been  built  up  as 
one  of  the  largest  retail  grocery  concerns  in  the  city,  with  an  establish- 
ment modern  in  every  particular  and  a  model  for  neatness  and  arrange- 
ment. The  store  room  is  33x150  feet,  and  seven  people  are  required  to 
look  after  the  interests  of  the  large  trade.  Mr.  Bartak  is  the  largest  im- 
porter of  fancy  groceries  in  the  city,  and  commands  the  custom  of  the 


1882  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

most  representative  people  of  the  community,  as  well  as  the  large  resort 
trade. 

His  business  ventures  have  been  of  varied  character  and  extensive 
nature,  and  have  contributed  greatly  to  Traverse  City's  importance  as  a 
center  of  business.  Through  his  efforts  was  organized  the  Traverse  City 
Milling  Company,  of  which  he  was  the  first  president,  and  in  1906  he 
organized  the  Traverse  City  Lock  Company.  Both  time  and  money  have 
been  devoted  to  the  promotion  of  an  interurban  railroad  between  Old 
Mission  and  Traverse  City,  a  project  now  under  consideration  of  eastern 
capitalists.  Mr.  Bartak  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  ]\Ianistee  River 
Power  Company,  and  its  treasurer  until  its  absorption  by  the  Common- 
wealth Company.  It  was  his  intention  to  organize  a  large  paper  mill 
there,  but  when  the  company  was  merged  with  the  large  corporation  he 
gave  up  this  plan.  Mr.  Bartak  is  also  president  of  the  Traverse  City 
Brick  Company,  which  was  organized  by  him  and  several  other  prominent 
business  men.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  People's  Savings  Bank  and 
the  Boardman  River  Light  &  Power  Company.  His  private  interests  also 
include  the  ownership  of  several  valuable  farms  in  Grand  Traverse 
county,  considerable  city  realty,  including  his  modem  residence  at  iii 
West  Eighth  street.  His  intense  desire  to  bring  about  the  organization 
of  enteqjrises  which  would  benefit  his  community  has  frequently  cost 
him  large  sums,  but  his  puljlic  spirit  at  all  times  has  been  above  selfish 
motives.  Having  succeeded  himself,  he  has  been  desirous  to  help  others 
to  success,  and  the  full  extent  of  his  practical  charity  in  this  direction  will 
probably  never  be  known. 

One  of  his,  most  helpful  services  to  his  city  occurred  in  191 2,  when 
the  city  council  decided  to  purchase  what  was  claimed  to  be  a  tract  of 
fourteen  acres  for  park  purposes.  The  site  had  been  used  during  the  old 
lumber  days  as  a  dumping  ground  for  sawdust,  much  of  which  is  still  in 
evidence.  Mr.  Bartak  knew  that  the  tract  contained  much  less  than  four- 
teen acres,  that  the  price  was  exorbitant,  and  while  others  were  ii^ert  on 
the  matter  and  willing  to  have  the  public  finances  sacrificed,  he  showed 
his  independence  by  circulating  a  petition  remonstrating  against  the  pur- 
chase. The  petition  was  ignored  by  the  city  council.  Mr.  Bartak  then 
enjoined  the  city  council,  and  the  injunction  was  sustained  by  the  courts. 
A  later  investigation  disclosed  the  fact  that  instead  of  nearly  fourteen 
acres  as  claimed  by  the  council  the  property  contained  only  three  and 
three-quarters  acres.  The  plan  was  dropped,  and  the  citizens  of  Traverse 
City  were  saved  the  not  inconsiderable  sum  of  twenty-eight  thousand 
dollars. 

This  is  only  one  of  many  instances  which  might  be  cited  to  illustrate 
Mr.  Bartak's  courage  and  decision  in  his  civic  leadership.  He  has  been 
keenly  alert  to  the  needs  and  wants  of  the  people,  and  courageous  and 
outspoken  in  their  behalf.  During  a  recent  campaign  to  establish  a  com- 
mission form  of  government,  Mr.  Bartak  was  convinced  that  the  plan 
w'as  advocated  chiefly  for  the  purpose  of  terminating  the  services  of  a 
city  official  who  was  supposed  to  be  unfit  for  the  honorable  position  he 
held.  Conse(|uently  he  voiced  his  protest  against  the  change  until  the 
city's  affairs  might  be  cleaned  up,  advocating  that  it  was  the  moral  duty 
of  the  people  to  vindicate  or  remove  an  erring  official  first,  and  not  con- 
sider a  change  of  government  for  the  sole  purpose  of  evading  their  re- 
sponsibilities. Later,  at  a  business  men's  meeting,  twenty  volunteered  to 
act  as  a  committee  and  together  with  their  representative,  Mr.  J.  R. 
Santo,  who  had  already  arranged  with  Governor  Ferris  for  a  meeting, 
to  give  prestige  to  the  cause  before  the  governor  and  bring  about  impeach- 
ment of  the  city  official.  On  the  day  set,  when  the  party  was  to  leave  for 
Lansing,  the  only  committee  members  to  appear  were  Mr.  Bartak  and  F. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1883 

Hunter.  In  spite  of  this  defection,  these  gentlemen  carried  out  their 
plan,  and  so  ably  handled  the  affair  that  the  proceedings  took  place  and 
the  offending  official  was  removed  from  office.  This  is  but  one  instance 
where  Mr.  Bartak  has  kept  his  given  word  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties 
which  he  considered  right.  He  has  been  fearless  in  his  defense  of  his 
opinions,  whether  upon  religious,  legal,  political  or  personal  matters,  and 
it  is  but  natural  that  in  taking  such  a  stand  he  shoidd  have  made  enemies. 
But  the  better  class  of  citizens  realize  his  sincerity,  his  honesty  and  his 
absolute  disinterestedness,  and  those  who  disagree  with  him  are  found 
greatly  in  the  minority.  As  a  rule  he  supports  the  principles  and  can- 
didates of  the  Democratic  party.  He  has  taken  some  interest  in  fraternal 
matters,  being  a  Master  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  has  numerous  friends  in  both  orders. 

In  May,  1878,  Mr.  Bartak  was  married  to  Miss  Lucy  Furtsch,  who 
was  born  in  New  York  City,  daughter  of  George  and  Lucy  Furtsch,  and 
to  this  union  there  have  been  born  three  children :  Edward  E.,  born  at 
Traverse  City,  Michigan,  July  14,  1881,  educated  in  the  public  and  high 
schools,  is  now  associated  with  his  father  in  the  grocery  business.  He 
married  Miss  Sadie  Magee,  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Magee  of 
New  York,  and  they  have  one  son,  Anthonv  Magee,  born  November  19, 
1912.  The  second  child  is  Edith,  a  graduate  of  the  Traverse  City  high 
school  and  now  a  student  of  the  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Conservatory  of 
Music.     The  third  child  died  in  infancy. 

Charles  D.  Shaw,  Jr.  Now  county  surveyor  of  Saginaw  county, 
Mr.  Shaw  has  been  in  active  practice  as  engineer  and  surveyor  in  Saginaw 
for  the  past  ten  years.  His  professional  life  has  brought  him  in  connec- 
tion with  many  important  works,  and  with  the  varied  experience  both  in 
this  country  and  elsewhere.  He  is  a  man  of  unusual  capacity  and  ability, 
and  is  held  in  high  esteem  in  Saginaw. 

Charles  D.  Shaw,"  Jr.,  was  born  at  Elmira,  New  York,  December  3, 
1876,  a  son  of  Charles  D.  and  Mary  (Dickinson)  Shaw.  His  father,  a 
native  of  Michigan,  early  in  life  went  to  New  York  State,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business  for  a  nimiber  of  years,  and  is  now  living 
in  New  York  city  at  the  age  of  sixty-six.  His  mother,  who  was  born  in 
Vermont  and  educated  there  was  married  in  New  York  State  and  died 
in  1909  at  Elmira  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight.  The  Saginaw  citizen  was  the 
third  in  that  family  of  children,  the  others  being  as  follows:  Captain 
Frederick  B.  Shaw,  an  officer  in  the  United  States  army;  Howard  M., 
and  Mrs.  Clara  Herrick,  twins ;  Mrs.  Grace  Collins ;  and  Harry  Shaw. 

With  a  high  school  education  as  his  chief  equipment  for  life,  Charles 
D.  Shaw,  on  leaving  school  became  dependent  upon  his  own  resources, 
and  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Fred  Leach  got  a  practical  knowledge  of  civil 
engineering  and  surveying.  After  three  and  a  half  years  of  this  appren- 
ticeship he  went  to  Porto  Rico,  where  he  continued  work  in  his  profession 
until  illness  compelled  him  to  return  to  the  United  States.  On  recovering 
his  health,  Mr.  Shaw  spent  some  time  in  practice  in  New  York,  and  in 
1902  came  to  Michigan.  For  three  years  he  served  as  assistant  city  en- 
gineer of  Saginaw,  and  did  much  work  in  the  laying  out  of  streets,  the 
supervision  of  the  various  public  works  undertaken  during  that  time :  and 
has  also  been  in  active  private  practice  for  himself.  In  191 2  Mr.  Shaw 
was  appointed  county  road  engineer,  a  position  which  now  takes  nearly 
all  his  time,  and  having  held  the  office  of  county  surveyor  since  1905,  he 
now  has  little  time  for  private  work. 

Mr.  Shaw  affiliates  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Teutonic  Society.  His  politics  is  Republican,  and  his  church  is  the 
Episcopal. 


1884  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

At  Saginaw  in  September,  1903,  Mr.  Shaw  married  Miss  Josephine 
Sullivan,  a  daughter  of  D.  J.  Sullivan,  a  well  known  resident  of  Saginaw. 
They  are  the  parents  of  one  daughter,  Margaret  Helen,  born  in  Saginaw 
in  1904,  and  now  in  the  fourth  grade  of  the  public  schools. 

David  E.  B.\gshavv,  M.  D.  Since  getting  his  first  case  in  Saginaw 
about  ten  years  ago.  Dr.  Bagshaw  has  been  steadily  advancing  in  favor 
and  success  as  a  physician  and  surgeon,  until  now  there  are  probably 
none  whose  ability  based  on  actual  success  could  be  rated  higher. 

David  E.  Bagshaw  was  born  at  Sunderland,  near  Toronto,  Ontario, 
October  10,  1876,  a  son  of  George  and  Sarah  (Evans)  Bagshaw,  his 
father  a  native  of  Canada,  and  his  mother  of  Wales.  The  parents  were 
educated  and  married  in  Ontario,  and  the  father  followed  farming  with 
fair  prosperity  in  that  province  until  his  death  in  1879  at  the  age  of 
forty-five  years.  The  mother  passed  away  in  Sunderland  in  1910  when 
seventy-one  years  old.  The  doctor  was  the  youngest  child,  and  the  other 
three  are :  Dr.  D.  J.  Bagshaw,  a  practicing  dentist  in  Toronto ;  Mrs.  W. 
R.  Ashenhurst,  and  Mrs.  H.  J.  Crowder,  both  of  Ontario. 

Dr.  Bagshaw  received  his  early  education  in  the  Ontario  schools,  was 
graduated  from  Woodstock  College  in  1S98,  then  entered  McMasters 
University  at  Toronto,  was  a  student  there  two  years,  and  subsequently 
was  a  student  in  Toronto  University  in  the  Medical  Department,  and 
was  graduated  from  the  Saginaw  Valley  Medical  College  in  1902;-  In 
the  same  year  he  took  up  active  practice,  went  ahead  with  increasing 
success  for  five  years,  and  then  entered  the  Jefferson  Medical  College 
at  Philadelphia,  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  equipped  medical  schools  in 
America,  graduating  in  1908.  Returning  to  Saginaw,  Dr.  Bagshaw  has 
since  been  in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession,  and  a  large  clientage 
reposed  complete  confidence  in  his  ability.  Dr.  Bagshaw  has  been  secre- 
tary in  1911-12,  of  the  Saginaw  County  Medical  Society,  is  a  member 
of  the  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  American  ]\Iedical  .\ssociation. 
His  other  affiliations  are  with  the  Masonic  Order,  the  Independent  Or- 
der of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Saginaw  Canoe  Club.  His  politics  is  of  the 
independent  order. 

At  Toronto,  in  December,  1900,  Dr.  Bagshaw  married  Emma  Pugh, 
a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Pugh,  who  are  still  living  in  the 
city  of  Toronto.  To  their  marriage  have  been  born  one  daughter  Sarah 
Victoria  Bagshaw,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Saginaw  in  1901,  and  who 
is  attending  the  public  schools  of  this  city.  Dr.  Bagshaw  owns  and  with 
his  family  occupies  a  beautiful  home  on  South  Washington  Street  in 
Saginaw. 

Erd  Motor  Company.  Of  the  many  important  manufacturing  plants 
of  Saginaw  there  is  none  more  widely  known  or  of  more  e-xtensi\e  opera- 
tion than  the  Erd  Motor  Company,  whose  works  are  on  Mackinaw  and 
Niagara  Streets  in  West  Saginaw.  The  Erd  Motor  is  a  name  that  stands 
for  many  excellences  wherever  motors  are  known  or  discussed.  The 
genius,  brains  and  experience  of  one  of  America's  ablest  engineers  are 
concretely  expressed  in  the  finely  adjusted  mechanism,  and  for  efficiency, 
durability,  smoothness  of  operation,  and  low  cost  of  upkeep,  the  Erd  has 
no  superior  and  few  equals  on  the  market.  The  industrj-  is  one  wdiich 
brings  a  very  large  revenue  to  Saginaw,  where  it  is  distributed  by  the 
large  force  of  skilled  workmen  in  the  plant,  and  is  a  large  item  in  the 
general  prosperity  of  the  city. 

The  president  and  manager  of  the  Erd  Motor  Company  is  John  G. 
Erd,  whose  talent  in  mechanical  engineering  and  whose  ability  as  a  busi- 
ness organizer  have  been  at  the   foundation  of  the  company's  success. 


^f  /3^<j-^^^-^  ^.  ^. 


THI  NIW  TOM 

?Q£i,lClIi.)URY 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1885 

John  G.  Erd  was  born  in  Saginaw  in  185S,  and  his  people  were  among 
the  pioneers  of  the  city.  His  education  was  received  in  the  country 
schools,  and  at  an  early  age  he  took  up  practical  engineering  and  me- 
chanical work.  He  followed  it  as  a  workman  until  he  perfected  what  is 
known  as  the  Erd  motor,  and  soon  after  began  its  manufacture  in  a  small 
building,  and  his  own  labor  was  the  biggest  element  in  the  industry  as 
then  conducted.  In  March  1900,  having  shown  large  jjossibilities  in  the 
business,  he  succeeded  in  organizing  a  company  with  a  capital  stock  of 
forty  thousand  dollars,  himself  as  president  and  manager,  R.  H.  Knapp  as 
vice  president,  and  Harry  F.  Erd  as  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  present 
splendid  plant  was  built  in  1909.  It  is  modern  in  every  respect,  fifty 
skilled  mechanics  are  employed  in  the  factory,  and  the  plant  has  a  floor 
space  used  in  the  industry  of  eighteen  thousand  square  feet.  The  capacity 
is  seven  hundred  complete  motors  every  year.  These  motors  are  shipped 
and  sold  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  are  used  in  motor  boats,  automo- 
biles, and  for  other  power  uses. 

John  G.  Erd  married  Miss  Anna  Clago.  The  two  children  of  their 
marriage  are :  Miss  Edith  M.  Erd,  and  Harry  S.  Erd,  both  born  in 
Saginaw. 

Harry  S.  Erd,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Erd  ]\Iotor  Company, 
was  born  at  Saginaw,  March  3,  1882,  during  his  boyhood  was  a  student 
in  the  public  schools  of  the  city,  and  got  his  practical  training  for  life  as 
an  employe  of  his  father.  Thus  he  acquired  all  the  details  of  the  motor 
manufacturing  business,  and  having  a  natural  talent  fof  mechanics,  he 
quickly  proved  himself  an  able  assistant  to  his  father,  and  as  a  young 
man,  his  range  of  accomplishments  in  the  future  is  also  unbounded.  At 
the  present  time  he  is  really  the  active  manager  of  the  Erd  Motor  Com- 
pany, and  looks  after  all  the  details  of  the  business,  both  in  the  construc- 
tion department  and  in  the  extension  of  its  business  commercially. 

Harry  S.  Erd  is  Independent  in  politics,  is  at  the  present  time  exalted 
ruler  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  belongs  to  the 
Canoe  Club  of  Saginaw,  the  West  Side  Business  Men's  Association,  the 
Board  of  Trade,  the  W.  and  M.  Association,  the  National  Association  of 
Engine  and  Boat  Manufacturers,  is  president  of  the  Marine  Engine  ;\Ian- 
ufacturers  Association,  and  one  of  the  most  influential  and  able  business 
men  and  citizens  of  Saginaw. 

Harry  S.  Erd  was  married  at  Detroit,  in  June  igo8,  to  Miss  Grace 
Behr,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eugene  Behr,  a  well  known  Detroit 
family,  where  her  parents  still  live.  To  their  marriage  have  been  born 
at  Saginaw  in  June  1912,  one  daughter,  Elizabeth  Jane  Erd.  Both  Harry 
Erd  and  his  father  stand  in  the  front  rank  of  Saginaw's  successful  men. 
The  father's  home  is  at  725  S.  Washington  Street,  in  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  residences  of  that  thoroughfare,  while  Harry  Erd  resides  at  618 
Cleveland  Avenue. 

Charles  A.  Bigelow.  Three  times  elected  president  of  the  Michigan 
Hardwood  Lumber  Manufacturers  Association,  Charles  A.  Bigelow  by 
his  practical  accomplishments  in  lumbering  has  more  than  measured  up 
to  the  dignity  of  his  official  honor.  For  more  than  thirty  years  beginning 
in  early  boyhood,  he  has  been  identified  with  the  kmiber  business  from 
the  operation  of  a  retail  yard  to  the  management  of  two  of  the  best  known 
lumber  manufacturing  concerns  in  the  lower  peninsula.  The  son  of  an 
old-time  lumberman,  he  grew  up  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  business  and 
with  an  energy  and  alertness  of  mind  which  are  well  shown  in  his  face, 
he  lias  long  been  one  of  the  chief  individual  factors  in  his  field. 

Charles  A.  Bigelow  was  born  at  Redford,  Wayne  county,  Michigan, 
July  18,  1866,  a  son  of  Albert  E.  and  Jennie  (Ashcroft)  Bigelow.     The 


1886  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

Bigelow  ancestry  in  America  goes  back  to  English  stock  planted  in  the 
colonies  during  the  sixteenth  century,  and  on  his  mother's  side  he  is  of 
French  origin.  Albert  E.  Bigelow  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Michigan, 
and  at  his  death,  June  15,  1913,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  left  a  splendid 
business  record  as  a  lumberman  and  was  also  a  gallant  soldier  of  the 
Union  army  during  the  Civil  war.  He  went  in  as  a  private  in  Company 
I  of  the  Twenty-Fourth  Alichigan  Infantry,  and  rose  to  the  non-commis- 
sioned rank  of  sergeant.  He  was  wounded  both  in  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg and  in  the  Wilderness  conflicts.  His  service  was  from  early  in  1S63 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  he  was  a  convalescent  when  peace  came. 
Mr.  Bigelow's  mother  was  born  at  Montpelier,  Vermont,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Martha  Ashcroft.  The  public  schools  of  Detroit  gave  Mr. 
Bigelow  his  education,  and  in  1881,  when  fifteen  years  old,  he  was  first 
regularly  employed  in  his  father's  retail  lumber  yard  in  Detroit.  Several 
years  of  work  gave  him  a  good  knowledge  of  the  buying  and  selling  of 
lumber  and  the  general  conduct  of  the  business  in  its  retail  features.  In 
1886  his  father  took  him  in  as  a  partner,  and  they  were  associated  in 
business  until  1891,  when  the  son  was  forced  by  illness  to  retire  from 
active  work  for  three  years.  IMr.  Bigelow  was  married  at  Birmingham, 
Michigan,  October  17,  1887,  to  Miss  Minnie  A.  Durkee. 

When  he  again  resumed  his  work  in  1894,  it  was  as  traveling  salesman 
for  The  Michelson-Hanson  Limiber  Company  at  Lewiston,  and  in  1896 
he  became  secretary  of  that  company.  On  May  29,  1901,  The  Kneeland- 
Bigelow  Company  was  organized,  and  soon  became  one  of  Michigan's 
best  known  lumber  plants.  On  October  19,  1905,  the  Kneeland-Buell  & 
Bigelow  Compay  was  formed,  which  in  19 12  was  changed  to  the  Knee- 
land-Lunden  &  Bigelow  Company.  Mr.  Bigelow  is  secretary,  treasurer, 
and  general  manager  of  both  these  companies,  while  D.  M.  Kneeland  is 
president.  The  lumbering  operations  of  the  two  companies  are  confined 
to  large  areas  of  timber  in  jNIontmorency,  Otsego,  Presque  Isle,  and  Che- 
boygan counties,  the  logs  being  brought  to  Bay  City,  where  they  are  man- 
ufactured into  lumber  in  two  saw  mills,  with  an  annual  output  of  forty 
million  feet,  and  a  total  volume  of  business  aggregating  about  one  mil- 
lion dollars  a  year.  The  companies  have  operated  largely  in  hemlock  and 
hardwood. 

Both  physically  and  mentally  Mr.  Bigelow  is  clearly  a  man  for  his 
special  field  of  work.  In  business  hours  no  one  can  surpass  him  as  a 
hustler,  and  not  only  in  the  transaction  of  routine  matters,  but  as  a  thinker 
and  originator  of  new  plans  and  new  scope  of  operations  for  his  com- 
pany. He  is  very  fond  of  outdoor  sport,  is  a  swimmer  and  horseman, 
a  baseball  fan,  and  besides  these  engaging  qualities,  has  the  faculty  of  mak- 
ing friends,  and  he  has  a  great  host  of  them,  not  only  in  the  lumber  trade 
Ijut  in  all  classes  of  ^Michigan  citizenship.  In  politics  he  is  an  independent 
Republican,  and  has  often  participated  in  Alichigan  public  aft'airs,  though 
never  as  an  office  seeker.  At  his  home  in  Bay  City,  ]\Ir.  Bigelow  is  one 
of  the  best,  most  prosperous  and  substantial  citizens.  He  belongs  to  the 
Bay  City  Club,  the  Bay  City  Country  Club,  the  Saginaw  Country  Club 
and  the  Detroit  Athletic  Club.  Mr.  Bigelow  has  been  honored  with  a 
place  on  the  ]\Iichigan  State  Insurance  Department,  being  chairman  of  the 
advisory  committee. 

He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Forest  I-'ire  Detective  Depart- 
ment of  Michigan,  an  organization  which  in  policing  and  in  the  instituting 
of  other  measures  for  the  prevention  of  forest  fires,  has  done  a  service 
of  incalculable  value  in  the  preservation  of  standing  timber,  and  in  be- 
half of  the  general  lumber  and  public  interests. 

It  should  also  be  said  in  this  connection  that  while  a  very  successful 
business  man  himself,  Mr.  Bigelow  has  at  the  same  time  done  much  to 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1887 

assist  other  men  to  fortune,  and  has  never  been  selfish  in  his  attainments. 

Soon  after  his  election  in  the  summer  of  1909  as  president  of  the 
Michigan  Hardwood  Lumber  Manufacturers  Association,  the  leading  ar- 
ticle in  the  American  Lumberman  was  an  interesting  review  of  the  char- 
acter and  activities  of  Mr.  Bigelow  and  was  written  under  the  title  "A 
Theorist  who  made  Good.''  Extracts  from  this  article  will  supplement 
the  general  outline  of, facts  herewith  presented: 

"A  few  years  ago  there  was  a  young  man  in  the  lumber  business  in 
Michigan,  who  was  somewhat  of  a  theorist.  At  that  time  the  lumber  in- 
dustry in  that  state  was  undergoing  many  changes.  In  those  days  when- 
ever there  was  a  meeting  of  lumbermen  in  Alichigan  this  young  man  was 
there  full  of  new  ideas  concerning  every  operation  connected  with  the 
lumber  business  from  logging  in  the  woods  to  the  final  selling  of  the 
lumber  in  the  open  market.  For  practically  every  new  problem  he  had 
that  which  he  believed  to  be  the  correct  solution.  His  ideas  were  based 
on  his  experience  in  the  business  and  close  observation  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  business  had  been  transacted  in  the  past,  and  in  which  it  would 
have  to  be  transacted  in  the  future  to  meet  the  changing  order.  By  many 
he  was  looked  upon  as  a  theorist  only.  He  endeavored  to  bring  other 
men  to  his  ideas,  and  did  not  always  meet  with  encouragement.  Never- 
theless he  had  the  most  sincere  confidence  in  every  proposition  he  ad- 
vocated ;  and  if  other  men  were  not  prone  universally  to  agree  with  him 
it  was  at  least  his  own  intention  to  put  his  theories  into  practice  as  far  as 
possible  in  the  operations  in  which  he  was  interested.  As  the  years  went 
on  he  saw  each  of  his  theories  demonstrated,  and  he  saw  men  who  had 
originally  scoffed  at  many  of  his  ideas  coming  out  to  put  them  into  prac- 
tice with  benefit  to  themselves  and  good  to  the  lumber  business  in  general. 
Recently  this  young  man  was  elected  to  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of 
the  Hardwood  Lumbermen  of  Michigan,  and  it  was  a  conspicuous  vindi- 
cation of  his  ideas  and  appreciation  of  his  services." 

It  was  during  his  connection  with  the  Michelson-Hanson  Lumber 
Company  during  the  nineties  that  Mr.  Fiigelow  "became  a  conspicuous 
figure  in  the  lumber  manufacturing  industry  of  the  state.  He  was  pres- 
ent at  all  of  the  meetings  of  the  manufacturers  that  were  held.  In  these 
meetings  he  took  an  active  part  and  was  frank  in  expressing  his  views. 
There  was  no  feature  of  the  business  whether  it  was  methods  of  logging 
or  methods  of  manufacture,  the  conduct  of  an  office  or  successful  sales- 
manship on  which  he  did  not  have  an  opinion  w^hich  he  was  prepared  to 
maintain.  Although  a  young  man  about  thirty  years  of  age,  he  attained 
recognition  from  men  much  older  in  years  and  much  older  in  the  busi- 
ness. His  aggressiveness  and  progressiveness  demanded  and  received 
attention." 

Francis  R.  Alger.  A  school  of  practical  vocational  training,  with  a 
record  to  be  found  in  the  personnel  of  a  large  number  of  business  con- 
cerns in  the  state  of  Michigan,  is  the  Bliss-.-Xlger  College  of  Saginaw. 
Probablv  no  educational  institution  in  the  city  has  a  more  practical  rela- 
tion to  the  business  community,  and  to  the  individual  welfare  of  many 
young  men  and  women  in  that  section  of  the  state.  Tiie  Bliss-.Alger  Col- 
lege has  ample  quarters  and  facilities  for  perfect  work,  and  with  all  the 
necessary  equipment,  and  with  a  staff'  of  thoroughly  trained  and  expert 
teachers  in  the  different  branches  offers  courses  in  general  business,  in- 
cluding bookkeeping,  commercial  law,  banking,  office  practice,  accounting, 
short-hand  and  typewriting,  court  reporting,  and  a  number  of  the  common 
branches,  which  are  fundamental  to  any  business  education. 

Francis  R.  Alger,  who  represents  an  old  family  in  the  Saginaw  A'alley 
was  born  in  Saginaw  county,  May  9,  1885,  a  son  of  David  B.  and  Carrie 


1888  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

(Gray)  Alger.  Both  parents  were  born  in  New  York  State,  and  were 
brought  to  ^lichigan  and  to  Saginaw  county  many  years  ago.  His  father, 
who  now  lives  retired  in  Saginaw,  was  for  many  years,  active  as  a  farmer, 
and  during  the  Civil  war  went  out  with  the  Fifth  Michigan  Regiment  and 
carried  arms  in  defense  of  the  union  throughout  the  war.  Grandfather 
Leonard  Alger  was  also  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war  and  died  during  the 
hostilities.  The  father  is  now  sixty-eight  years  of  age,  and  the  mother  is 
about  sixty-two.  There  were  two  sons,  the  other  being  Dr.  Alger,  of 
Saginaw. 

Francis  R.  Alger  has  largely  educated  himself  and  made  his  own  way 
in  the  world  with  little  assistance  from  outside  sources.  At  the  age  of 
nineteen  he  was  graduatd  from  the  Saginaw  high  school,  was  a  student  in 
the  Arthur  Hill  School,  and  for  one  year  studied  medicine  in  the  Detroit 
Medical  College.  That  year  convinced  him  that  medicine  was  not  his 
forte,  and  after  attending  school  for  one  year  at  Columbus  he  went 
to  Kalamazoo  and  was  a  teacher  there  one  year,  and  then  came  to  Saginaw 
and  with  Mr.  Bliss  opened  the  institution  above  described.  The  present 
enrollment  of  the  Bliss-Alger  College  is  three  hundred  and  twenty-four 
students,  and  there  is  an  average  of  two  hundred  graduates  each  year. 
This  indicates  the  prosperity  and  also  the  high  standing  of  the  school  in 
the  estimation  of  business  houses  and  the  people  of  northeastern  ^Michigan. 

Mr.  Alger  is  Independent  in  politics,  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  and  on  June  12,  1907,  at  Saginaw,  was  married  to  Miss 
Madge  Alcenia  Bliss,  whose  father  was  the  late  Fred  H.  Bliss,  a  well 
known  citizen  of  Saginaw.  Her  mother  is  still  living  at  Saginaw.  To 
their  marriage  have  been  born  two  children:  Dorris  Bliss  Alger,  born 
January,  1910;  and  Ruth  Alcenia  Alger,  born  December  12,  1912.  Mr. 
Alger  is  fond  of  all  outdoor  sports,  and  is  an  enthusiastic  member  of  the 
Saginaw  Canoe  Club. 

Ealy  &  Company.  This  firm,  which  has  its  headquarters  at  Caro, 
does  the  largest  private  banking,  real  estate  and  abstract  business  in 
Tuscola  county,  and  few  associations  of  a  business  and  financial  nature 
have  a  record  of  such  substantial  character,  enduring  integrity,  and  influ- 
ential relations  with  a  larger  territory.  The  enterprise  of  Ealy  &  Com- 
pany is  by  no  means  confined  to  the  city  of  Caro.  It  is  the  parent  concern 
of  a  large  number  of  branch  banks  in  that  section  of  the  state,  and  the 
constituent  members  of  the  company  represent  capital,  business  power, 
and  resources  far  above  any  possible  extension  of  liability.  The  mem- 
bers of  Ealy  &  Company  are  Dr.  John  M.  Ealy,  his  two  sons,  J.  McXair 
Ealy  and  Milton  D.  Ealy  and  Henry  Parker. 

Dr.  John  Milton  Ealy,  who  has  for  twenty-five  years  been  successfully 
identified  with  banking  in  Tuscola  county,  and  who  previous  to  coming 
to  Michigan  was  a  successful  physician  and  surgeon,  was  born  in  the  state 
of  Pennsylvania.  He  graduated  from  the  college  at  Edinboro.  Pennsyl- 
vania, for  a  number  of  years  taught  school  in  his  native  state,  and  with 
the  earnings  from  that  vocation  pursued  his  studies  and  graduated  from 
the  Cleveland  Aledical  College  with  the  degree  M.  D.  He  has  practiced 
medicine  at  Girard,  Pennsylvania,  for  a  number  of  years,  and  finally  re- 
tired from  the  profession  and  located  at  Caro  in  Tuscola  county,  Michi- 
gan, in  1888.  Dr.  Ealy  began  his  career  as  a  banker  by  purchasing  the 
interest  of  A.  T.  Slaight  in  a  private  bank  at  Caro.  Previously  the  firm 
had  been  Slaight,  Staley  &  Cooper,  later  Cooper  it  Slaight,  and  subse- 
quentlv  Carson  &  Ealy.  After  Dr.  Elaly  became  interested  in  the  busi- 
ness, its  success  as  bankers  and  real  estate  dealers  was  greatly  extended, 
and  he  continued  his  associations  with  Mr.  Carson  until  the  death  of 
W.  H.  Carson  in  1904.     That  resulted  in  the  reorganization  of  a  new 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1889 

company,  comprising  John  j\l.  Ealy,  Henry  Parker.  Alilton  D.  Ealy  and 
John  McXair  Ealy.  under  the  present  title  of  Ealy  &  Company. 

This  new  company  has  become  one  of  the  strongest  and  best  known 
private  banking  institutions  in  the  eastern  part  of  Michigan,  and  since 
the  reorganization  fifteen  branch  banks  have  been  established  in  various 
parts  of  the  state.  These  branches  are  as  follows :  Bank  of  Akron,  Bank 
of  Reese,  Bank  of  Fairgrove,  Bank  of  Millington,  Bank  of  Clifford,  Bank 
of  Silverwood,  The  State  Savings  Bank  of  Caro,  Bank  of  Otter  Lake, 
Bank  of  East  Tawas,  Bank  of  Tawas  City,  Bank  of  Gilford,  Bank  of  Rich- 
ville.  Bank  of  Munger.  Ogemaw  Countv  Bank  at  \\'est  Branch  and  Bank 
of  Hale. 

Dr.  Ealy  besides  his  extensive  associations  with  business  aft'airs  is 
treasurer  of  the  Gleaners  Association  of  Detroit,  and  also  affiliates  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He 
is  a  deacon  in  the  Presbyterian  church  and  in  politics  a  Republican. 

Dr.  Ealy  married  ^liss  Agnes  McNair,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
the  McXairs  having  been  prominent  and  wealthy  land  owners  in  that  state. 
Dr.  Ealy  and  wife  became  the  parents  of  three  children,  and  brief  sketches 
of  the  careers  of  their  two  sons  follow : 

John  McXair  Ealy,  son  of  Dr.  John  M.  Ealy,  was  bom  at  Girard, 
Pennsylvania,  December  24,  1885,  received  his  early  education  in  the  com- 
mon and  high  schools  at  Caro.  to  which  city  the  familv  removed  when  he 
was  about  three  years  of  age,  and  after  two  years  in  the  New  York  Mili- 
tary Academy  returned  to  Michigan  and  began  his  business  career  under 
the  direction  of  his  father  in  the  banking  house  of  Carson  &  Ealy.  Dur- 
ing the  next  four  years  he  learned  all  the  details  of  banking,  real  estate, 
and  related  aft'airs,  and  in  1906  was  made  a  partner  in  the  business,  and 
has  since  been  one  of  the  energetic  factors  in  the  success  of  the  firm. 

In  1906  John  McNair  Ealy  married  in  Caro  Miss  Ha?el  Harris,  a 
daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Clara  (De\'oe)  Harris.  Her  father,  now  de- 
ceased, was  at  one  time  prominent  in  the  grain  and  elevator  business  in 
Tuscola  county.  Mr.  Ealy  and  wife  have  two  sons:  Horton  McXair  and 
Harris  DeA'oe,  both  of  whom  were  bom  in  Caro.  Mr.  Ealy  is  a  Repub- 
lican, affiliates  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Milton  D.  Ealy,  the  second  son  and  junior  partner  of  the  firm  of  Ealy 
&  Company,  was  born  in  Caro,  Michigan.  April  26.  i8gi.  Though  a  very 
young  man  his  accomplishments  are  far  beyond  his  youthful  years.  The 
common  and  high  schools  of  Caro  gave  him  his  early  training,  and  he 
also  spent  three  years  in  the  military  academy  where  his  brother  had  been 
a  student  before  him.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  started  tO'  work  in 
his  father's  bank,  beginning  with  the  branch  at  Silverwood.  and  after 
one  year  was  taken  in  as  junior  partner  with  the  company  in  June,  1913- 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  but  at  times  worships  in  the  Episcopal  church  of  which  his  wife 
is  a  member.  In  July,  1913,  at  Caro,  ]\Iilton  D.  Ealy  married  Miss  Mar- 
garet ]M.  Gallagher,  who  was  born  in  Saginaw.  Her  father  is  Rev.  Wil- 
liam H.  Gallagher,  a  prominent  clergyman  of  the  Episcopal  church  in 
Michigan,  and  Grand  Chaplain  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  in  the  state. 
Her  mother  is  Ann  ( Duncan  )  Gallagher.  Mr.  Ealy  and  wife  have  one 
daughter.  Agnes  McXair  Ealy,  born  in  Caro,  June  26,  1914. 

Henrv  Parker,  the  other  member  of  the  firm  of  Ealy  &  Company,  is 
one  of  tile  highly  successful  men  of  Tuscola  county,  and  has  come  up 
from  the  ranks  of  business  affairs  to  leadership  and  important  influence. 

Born  in  Derbyshire.  England.  October  7,  1869,  Henry  Parker  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Matkin)  Parker,  both  of  whom  were  born  in 
Derbyshire  and  are  now  deceased.     His  father,  who  was  a  lace  manu- 


1890  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

facturer  in  his  native  shire  for  many  years,  died  in  1880  at.  the  age  of 
fifty-seven,  while  the  mother  survived  until  1912  and  was  eighty-one 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  death.  The  youngest  of,  nine  children, 
Henry  Parker  received  a  grammar  school  education,  but  when  eleven 
years  of  age  left  his  books  to  begin  an  apprenticeship  in  his  father's  fac- 
tory, where  he  served  five  years,  and  learned  the  trade  of  lace  designer. 
Failing  health  compelled  him  to  leave  the  confining  vocation  to  which  he 
had  been  trained,  and  he  came  on  a  visit  to  America  after  three  years  as 
a  journeyman  worker  in  the  lace  industry.  He  arrived  in  this  country  in 
October,  18S7,  and  was  directed  to  Tuscola  part  of  Michigan  by  reason  of 
the  fact  that  his  uncle,  Joseph  Alatkin,  was  a  farmer  in  that  section,  and 
while  visiting  under  his  roof  began  work  as  a  farm  hand  and  in  the 
lumber  woods  and  stave  mills  of  that  locality.  Three  years  of  this 
vigorous  outdoor  occupation  completely  restored  his  health  and  rugged 
vigor,  and  since  then  he  has  never  had  any  relations  with  the  trade  which 
he  learned  as  a  young  man,  but  coming  to  Caro  began  his  business  career 
as  clerk  in  a  grocery  store.  Six  months  later  he  found  a  position  as  clerk 
with  the  banking  house  of  Carson  &  Ealy  and  was  paid  at  first  only  three 
dollars  a  week  as  wages.  He  showed  industry  and  responsibility,  and  rose 
rapidly  in  the  confidence  of  his  employers,  and  for  ten  years  was  the  of- 
ficial abstractor  for.TQscoIa  county.  In  1906  Mr.  Parker  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  o£Ea;ly.&-Company  at  the  death  of  Mr.  Carson,  and  is  now 
recognized  as  one  of  the  successful  and  prosperous  business  men  of  Caro. 
His  prominence  in  local  affairs  is  also  indicated  by  his  services  for  two 
years  as  treasurer  of  the  city  of  Caro,  as  assessor  for  four  terms,  and  as 
a  member  of  the'  B'Qa^4  of  Education.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  af- 
filiates with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  church. 

In  (;)ctob*er,  1893,  at  Caro,  Mr.  Parker  married  Miss  Violet  I!.  War- 
ren, who  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  and  her  father,  George 
W.  Warren,  was  at  one  time  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  brick  in 
Caro,  but  is  now  a  resident  of  Cheboygan.  Michigan.  Mr.  Parker  and 
wife  have  two  children:  Fred  Parker,  who  was  born  at  Caro  in  1897  and 
is  now  a  student  in  the  high  school,  and  Geneva  Parker,  born  at  Caro  in 
Novemlier,  1899. 

John  B.  Goetz.  The  oldest  and  largest  business  of  its  kind  in  Sagi- 
naw is  the  John  B.  Goetz  Greenhouses,  which  was  founded  by  John  B. 
Goetz  in  1871.  Mr.  Goetz  had  learned  his  trade  thoroughly  in  his  native 
land  of  Germany,  but  on  coming  to  Saginaw,  he  was  possessed  of  very 
little  capital,  and  with  the  thrift  and  enterprise  characteristic  of  his  na- 
tionality, acquired  a  little  piece  of  ground  and  constructed  his  first  green- 
houses with  his  own  hands.  He  went  into  the  business  conservatively, 
supplied  the  best  of  everything  to  his  customers,  and  by  careful  tending 
and  economical  management  during  the  first  years,  saw  his  business  rap- 
idly developing  until  his  prosperity  was  assured.  Mr.  Goetz,  who  now 
lives  retired,  from  active  affairs,  is  one  of  the  honored  older  business  men 
of  Saginaw. 

John  B.  Goetz  was  born  in  Phaft'endorf.  Bavaria  Germany,  Septem- 
ber 7,  1844,  was  educated  in  the  German  schools,  and  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen was  apprenticed  to  a  florist,  and  spent  four  or  five  years  in  learning 
the  profession  which  was  the  basis  for  his  successful  career,  x^t  the  age 
of  twenty-three  he  came  to  New  York  City,  spent  four  years  there,  and 
in  1871,  established  at  Saginaw,  the  John  B.  Goetz  Greenhouses.  At  the 
present  time  the  Goetz  greenhouses  have  seventy-five  thousand  square 
feet  of  glass,  and  there  is  no  establishment  in  the  state  of  its  kind  more 
modern  and  capable  of  supplying  finer  products  to  the  trade.    The  entire 


B. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1891 

plant  is  heated  by  steam.  In  1903,  Mr.  Goetz,  having  given  his  close  at- 
tention to  the  business  for  thirty-two  years,  retired  and  turned  over  the 
active  management  to  his  sons. 

Mr.  Goetz  has  been  a  Republican  voter  since  coming  to  America,  but 
has  never  shown  anv  inclination  to  seek  the  honor  of  pubHc  office,  and  has 
been  content  to  perform  his  citizenship  through  his  private  business.  At 
I-ake  Ridge,  Michigan,  in  1876,  Mr.  Goetz  married  Miss  Margareta 
Beland,  a  daughter  of  John  Beland  and  wife.  She  died  in  the  summer  of 
1883.  Her  father  died  in  1902  and  her  mother  in  October,  1910.  The 
Belauds  were  a  well  known  pioneer  family,  and  her  father  came  to  this 
part  of  Michigan  many  years  ago,  was  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  and 
built  his  first  home  out  of  the  rough  logs,  that  old  cabin  still  standing  until 
a  few  years  ago.  To  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goetz  were  Ijorn  two 
sons,  the  birth  of  both  occurring  in  Saginaw.  Henry  W.  F.  Goetz  was 
bom  in  1877,  and  J.  Fred  Goetz  in  1S79.  Both  attended  the  public 
schools  of  this  city,  and  on  leaving  school  entered  their  father's  establish- 
ment, got  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  floral  business  in  all  details,  and  in 
1903  was  entrusted  with  the  responsibility  of  managing  the  prosperous 
business  built  up  by  their  father,  and  have  for  ten  years  conducted  it  with 
increasing  prosperity.  Henry  Goetz  was  married  in  Hinsdale,  Illinois,  in 
1904,  to  Miss  Hermine  Mueller,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Mueller,  her  par- 
ents still  living  at  Hinsdale,  Illinois.  Mrs.  Goetz  was  born  in  Proviso, 
Illinois.  Their  children  are :  John  B.,  Jr.,  born  in  Saginaw,  on  Decem- 
ber 22.  1907;  Margareta  Goetz  born  on  August  20,  1909;  and  Herbert 
Winfred,  born  on  August  16,  1013.  Henry  Goetz  is  a  Republican  in  pol- 
itics, belongs  to  the  German  Lutheran  church,  and  he  and  his  family 
reside  at  315  N.  Webster  Street.  J.  Fred  Goetz  was  married  in  Saginaw 
in  1907  to  Miss  Wilhelmina  Kurzhals,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Wil- 
helm'ina  Kurzhals,  her  father  now  deceased.  J.  Fred  is  also  a  Republican 
and  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church.  John  B.  Goetz  married  for  his 
second  wife  Otelia  Yahran,  who  is  still  living. 

Joseph  Henri  Riopelle,  M.  D.  Since  1906  a  physician  and  surgeon 
of  high  standing  and  success  in  Saginaw,  Dr.  Riopelle  represents  an  old 
French-Canadian  family,  is  a  graduate  of  the  best  Dominion  schools, 
and  is  a  man  whose  success  has  been  well  earned.  It  was  by  hard  work 
at  any  honest  occupation  that  Dr.  Riopelle  earned  the  money _  needed 
for  his  higher  education,  and  when  he  left  University  he  had  in  addi- 
tion to  his  diploma  a  thorough  experience  and  a  self-reliance  gained  by 
actual  contact  with  men  and  life. 

His  birth  occurred  in  Montreal,  Canada,  September  18,  1868.  His 
parents  were  Louis  and  Sophie  ( Constant)  Riopelle,  among  whose  seven 
children  he  was  third  in  order  of  birth.  Both  parents  were  natives  of 
Canada,  lived  there  all  their  lives  and  his  father  followed  the  business 
of  contracting  mason,  until  his  death  in  1901,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine. 
The  Riopelle  family  was  founded  in  Canada  during  the  latter  half  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  by  the  great-grandparents,  of  Dr.  Riopelle.  Dr. 
Riopelle's  mother  was  at  one  time^  a  school  teacher,  and  her  death  oc- 
curred in  1901  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight. 

Joseph  Henri  Riopelle,  as  a  boy,  attended  the  public  schools,  and  his 
ambition  to  get  a  medical  education  was  pursued  under  adverse  circum- 
stances. Finally  he  acquired  the  means  to  enter  the  Laval  University  of 
Montreal,  where  he  was  awarded  his  diploma  in  medicine  in  1894.  One 
year  was  spent  in  practice  at  Montreal,  after  which  he  went  to  the  state 
of  Maine,  practicing  at  Greenville  and  Brunswick  until  1906.  Dr.  Rio- 
pelle came  to  Saginaw  in  1906.  and  has  since  enjoyed  a  large  practice 
and  also  an  influential  place  as  a  citizen,  particularly  among  the  many 


1892  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

people  of  his  own  nationality  in  this  city.  In  civic  and  social  affairs,  he 
has  taken  a  prominent  part.  For  four  years  from  1908  to  1912,  Dr. 
Riopelle  was  city  physician  of  Saginaw.  He  is  supreme  president  of  the 
French  League  of  Saginaw,  has  been  supreme  officer  of  the  Society  of 
St.  John  the  Baptist  of  America  for  six  years ;  belongs  to  the  Fraternal 
Order  of  Eagles,  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  is  a  Catholic  in  religion,  and 
a  Republican  in  politics.  The  doctor  belongs  to  the  various  medical  so- 
cieties, and  is  a  working  member  of  the  Saginaw  board  of  trade. 

At  Montreal  in  1893  Dr.  Riopelle  married  Miss  Fabiola  Payette,  a 
daughter  of  Medore  Payette.  Mrs.  Riopelle  died  at  Greenville,  Maine, 
in  1900.  Her  two  sons  were:  Joseph  Henri  Riopelle,  born  at  Montreal 
in  1895  ;  and  Joseph  Edward  Riopelle,  born  in  Greenville,  Maine  in  1899. 
Both  sons  are  students  of  a  school  in  Montreal,  where  they  are  being 
liberally  educated  in  both  the  English  and  French  languages. 

At  Greenville,  Maine,  in  1903,  Dr.  Riopelle  married  Miss  Mary  Eliza- 
beth Nasom,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Nasom,  whose  home  is 
at  Skowhegan,  Mame.  All  the  three  children  of  the  second  marriage 
died  in  infancy.  Dr.  Riopelle  resides  at  902  South  Washington  Street, 
owns  one  of  the  tine  automobiles  of  the  city,  and  uses  that  machine 
both  in  the  practical  work  of  his  profession  and  as  a  means  of  relaxation 
and  pleasure. 

H.\RRY  E.  Oppenheimer.  To  those  who  smoke — and  their  number 
is  legion — the  title  of  the  Oppenheimer  Cigar  Company  has  long  been 
familiar  in  the  states  of  Illinois,  Indiana,  and  Michigan,  and  stands  for 
high  standards  of  merchandise  and  courteous  methods  of  salesmanship. 
In  the  three  states  mentioned,  Samuel  and  Harry  E.  Oppenheimer  now 
operate  a  chain  of  twenty-three  stores,  and  handle  each  year  a  vast  vol- 
ume both  wholesale  and  retail  in  cigars  and  general  smokers'  supplies. 
It  is  a  splendid  business  representing  the  modern  system  of  business  or- 
ganization, and  every  one  of  the  stores  is  creditable  to  the  enterprise  and 
ability  of  the  two  proprietors.  The  headquarters  of  the  business  are  at 
Saginaw. 

In  the  career  of  Harry  E.  Oppenheimer,  the  junior  member  of  the 
firm,  Saginaw  has  one  of  its  ablest  business  men,  and  few  have  risen  in 
so  short  a  time  to  a  commanding  position  in  the  trade. 

Harry  E.  Oppenheimer  was  born  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  February  10, 
1872,  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Carolina  (Kline)  Oppenheimer.  Both 
parents  were  born  in  Massillon.  Ohio,  where  their  respective  parents 
were  early  settlers,  and  both  families  at  an  early  date  removed  to  Rich- 
mond, Indiana,  where  Benjamin  and  Carolina  Oppenheimer  grew  up  and 
were  married.  Benjamin  Oppenheimer  engaged  in  the  clothing  business 
at  Richmond,  and  followed  it  actively  there  until  1883,  when  he  moved 
to  Saginaw.  His  death  occurred  at  Saginaw,  in  May.  1904,  when  fifty- 
eight  years  old.  His  wife  survived  and  is  now  living  in  Saginaw  at  the 
age  of  sixty-six  years.    Of  the  nine  children,  seven  are  living. 

Harry  E.  Oppenheimer  who  was  third  among  the  children,  was  about 
eleven  years  old  when  he  came  to  Saginaw,  and  continued  his  education 
here  until  graduating  from  the  high  school.  His  uncle,  Samuel  Oppen- 
heimer, had  established  a  cigar  business  at  Saginaw  in  1887,  and  when 
the  nephew  finished  high  school,  his  first'  regular  work  was  as  clerk  in 
the  Oppenheimer  Cigar  establishment.  The  business  was  then  conducted 
on  the  ordinary  scale  of  the  individual  store,  and  it  was  largely  the 
foresight  and  keen  enteriirise  of  the  junior  member  that  opened  up  the 
way  and  did  the  planning  and  executed  the  details  in  the  organizing  of 
a  svstem  of  stores,  now  located  in  three  different  states.  In  a  short  time 
he  had  risen  from  the  responsibilities  of  a  clerk  to  the  ownership  of  a 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1893 

half  interest  in  the  Oppenheimer  business.  Seven  of  the  Oppenheinier 
stores  are  located  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  though  the  headquarters  have 
always  been  in  Saginaw,  I^Iichigan.  Necessarily  the  magnitude  of  the 
enterprise  requires  the  employment  of  a  large  force  of  skilled  tobacco 
salesmen,  and  the  stock  and  fixtures,  and  the  payroll  represent  a  large 
investment  and  capitalization.  One  of  the  rules  of  the  house  is  "Always 
be  polite  and  courteous,"  and  that  has  been  one  of  the  corner  stones  in 
the  success  of  the  business. 

]\Ir.  Harry  E.  C)ppenheimer  is  affiliated  with  the  IJenevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks  in  Saginaw,  and  in  Alasonry  has  taken  the  Scottish 
Rite  up  to  and  including  the  thirty-second  degree.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Elf  Khurafeh  Temple,  A.  A.  O.  X.  M.  S.,  one  of  its  charter  members 
and  very  active,  and  is  treasurer  and  held  other  important  offices  in  that 
organization.  He  is  treasurer  of  Saginaw  Valley  Chapter  No.  31  R. 
A.  M.,  also  treasurer  of  the  Order  of  Eastern  Star  Mutual  Benefit  Asso- 
ciation. His  other  local  affiliations  are  with  the  Saginaw  Club,  the  .Ar- 
beiter  Society  at  Saginaw,  the  Saginaw  Country  Club,  the  Germania  So- 
ciety, and  as  one  of  the  live  members  of  the  Saginaw  Board  of  Trade. 
Mr.  Oppenheimer  states  that  he  has  always  been  too  busy  to  meddle 
with  politics,  and  his  attitude  in  that  direction  is  independent.  However, 
his  good  citizenship  has  never  been  a  matter  of  doubt,  and  he  quickly 
allies  himself  with  laudible  public  undertakings.  Mr.  Oppenheimer  is 
unmarried,  and  resides  with  his  mother  in  one  of  the  beautiful  homes  in 
Saginaw.  He  is  fond  of  all  athletic  sports,  and  is  one  of  the  most  pop- 
ular and  influential  young  business  men  in  the  Saginaw  \'alley. 

AI.M.coL.M  C.  SixcL.MR,  M.  D.  Humanity  owes  a  greater  debt  to 
medical  science  and  its  exponents  than  to  any  other  profession  or  class  of 
men.  The  physician  from  earliest  times  has  borne  an  important  part,  not 
alone  in  the  care  of  the  sick,  but  in  the  councils  of  the  nations,  and  as  the 
countries  have  passed,  his  importance  has  deservedly  increased.  The 
life  of  the  medical  practitioner  is  never  one  of  ease;  not  only  is  he  re- 
quired to  devote  years  to  preliminary  training,  but  his  studies  are  not 
completed  until  he  finally  lays  aside  his  duties,  for  medicine  is  one  of 
tb.e  most  prrigressive  sciences  known  and  each  day  develops  new  meth- 
ods and  discoveries,  to  keep  abreast  of  which  demands  unceasing  study, 
a  broad  mind  and  comprehensive  reasoning.  Prominent  among  the  merl- 
ical  men  of  Grand  Rapids  who  has  won  deservedly  high  place  by  reason 
of  his  devotion  to  his  profession  is  found  Malcolm  C.  Sinclair,  M.  D., 
who  has  been  engaged  in  continuous  practice  in  this  city  since  1876. 

Doctor  Sinclair  was  born  on  a  farm  near  .St.  Thomas,  County  Elgin, 
Ontario,  Canada,  October  3,  1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Coll  and  Jane  f^Ic- 
Larty )  Sinclair,  natives  of  Scotland,  and  a  grandson  of  .Krchibald  Sin- 
clair, who  sjJent  his  life  in  that  country.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and 
stockraiser  by  occupation,  and  attained  success  by  reason  of  his  native 
energy  and  thrift.  Both  he  and  his  wife  emigrated  to  Canada  as  young 
people  and  were  there  married,  and  both  passed  away  in  the  faith  of  the 
Disciples  Church.  In  politics,  ]\Ir.  Sinclair  was  a  Conservative.  Of  his 
family  of  twelve  children,  all  of  whom  attained  manhood  and  womanhood, 
eight  still  survive. 

Dr.  Sinclair's  early  education  began  in  a  Canadian  Country  School, 
after  which  he  entered  the  high  and  grammar  schools  of  St.  Thomas. 
Shortly  after  this,  he  became  a  student  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Leonard  Luton, 
St.  Thomas.  Ontario  (who  for  many  years  was  president  of  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  Ontario),  and  then  became  a  student  in 
Hahnemann  Medical  College,  Chicago,  where  he  graduated  in  1873.  Fol- 
lowing this,  he  spent'  some  time  in  Europe,  and  upon  his  return  to  the 


1894  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAX 

United  States  began  tlie  practice  of  medicine  in  Grand  Rapids.  Michigan. 
Bv  that  time,  the  Doctor's  resources  were  about  exhausted  and  he  began 
his  professional  career  as  a  poor  and  practically  obscure  doctor.  He  ex- 
perienced the  usual  difficulties  of  the  young  physician  in  gaining  a  foot- 
hold in  his  profession,  but  his  superior  abilities  soon  became  recognized 
and  he  began  to  enjoy  a  good  practice.  Since  that  time,  Doctor  Sinclair 
has  advanced  rapidly  to  a  high  place  in  his  profession,  and  his  achieve- 
ments have  given  him  a  high  standing  among  the  medical  fraternity  and 
a  firm  place  in  the  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens.  He  has  been  hon- 
ored bv  appointment  and  election  to  various  positions  of  trust  and  re- 
sponsibility. He  was  appointed  by  Governor  Pingree  a  member  of  the 
first  board  of  registration  in  medicine  in  Michigan  and  was  elected  its 
first  president.  He  was  also  appointed  by  Governor  Warner  a  member 
of  the  State  Board  of  Health,  where  he  served  six  years.  He  also  served 
six  years  on  the  Grand  Rapids  Board  of  Health.  He  is  now  a  member  of 
the  medical  examiners  of  the  Michigan  State  Sanatorium  at  Howell.  }^Iich- 
igan.  He  was  also  appointed  by  President  Roosevelt  memlier  of  the 
United  States  Board  of  Pension  Examiners,  where  he  served  eight  years. 
He  has  ser\-ed  as  president  of  the  Michigan  Homeopathic  State  Medical 
Society,  of  which  he  is  still  a  member,  as  well  as  member  of  the  American 
Institute  of  Homeopathy,  .American  Medical  Association,  West  Michigan 
Homeopathic  Society  and  Kent  County  Medical  Society  and  is  on  the  staff 
of  the  U.  B.  A.  Hospital,  where  he  was  for  some  time  lecturer  to  the 
nurses  of  that  institution. 

He  maintains  offices  in  the  \\'iddicomb  Building  and  carries  on  a  gen- 
eral practice,  although  he  is  not  unknown  in  the  field  of  surgery.  His 
business  interests  are  many  and  he  is  connected  with  the  ^  alley  City 
Lumber  Company,  Ltd.,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  and  is  still  a  di- 
rector of  the  Grand  Rapids  Building  &  Loan  Association  and  is  president 
of  the  Grand  Rapids  Milk  Association.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
his  fraternal  connection  is  with  Grand  River  Lodge  Xo.  34.  F.  &•  A.  ]M.. 
DeMolai  Commanderv  and  the  Shrine,  of  the  Masonic  order. 

In  1887.  Doctor  Sinclair  was  married  to  Miss  Edith  M.  Luton,  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Elizabeth  Luton,  of  ]Mapleton.  Ontario,  and  two  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  this  union :  Douglas,  who  after  graduating  from 
the  Grand  Rapids  High  School  entered  the  University  of  IMichigan  and 
is  now  treasurer  of  the  ^'alley  City  Lumber  Company,  Ltd.,  and  Jean, 
who  married  Heber  \\\  Curtis,  vice  president  of  the  Kent  State  Bank. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Sinclair  and  their  children  are  members  of  the  Disciples 
church. 

Emit.  P.  ^^'.  Richter,  M.  D.  A  prominent  young  physician  who  has 
practiced  at  Saginaw  since  IQOO,  Dr.  Richter  belongs  to  one  of  the  old 
and  substantial  families  of  that  city,  was  himself  born  there  and  before 
entering  upon  his  profession  had  prepared  by  study  and  training  in  the 
best  schools  and  centers  of  learning  in  both  America  and  Europe. 

F.mil  P.  \\'.  Richter  was  born  in  Saginaw.  February  10.  1875.  the 
second  of  eight  children  born  to.  Fred  .-X.  and  Katherine  ('Mueller")  Rich- 
ter. His  father  was  born  in  Prussia,  and  the  mother  in  Hessia.  Germany. 
The  grandparents  on  both  sides  came  to  America  when  Dr.  Richter's 
mother  and  father  were  about  twelve  years  of  age.  both  families  estab- 
lishing their  homes  in  Saginaw,  where  they  have  lived  ever  since.  Fred 
A.  Richter  was  for  many  years  in  the  employ  of  the  Wright  Lumber 
Companv.  and  for  a  time  operated  a  saw  mill  business  of  his  own  at 
Marion.  ^Michigan.  Finally  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business  at  Saginaw, 
and  is  still  active  in  business  affairs. 

Dr.  Richter  grew  up  in  Saginaw,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  and 


HISTORY-  OF  MICHIGAN  1895 

parish  schools.  His  first  training  for  liis  profession  was  furnished  by 
the  Saginaw  \'alley  ^Medical  College  and  he  afterwards  took  post-grad- 
uate work  in  the  New  York  Post  Graduate  Hospital,  went  abroad  and 
studied  and  attended  clinics  in  Berlin  and  Vienna  and  other  European 
centers,  and  in  igoo  began  active  practice.  His  career  as  a  physician  and 
surgeon  has  been  one  of  uninterrupted  and  unqualified  success.  He  was 
president  of  the  County  Medical  Society  in  IQII,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican.  From  1904  to  191 1,  he  was  honored  by  the  citizens 
of  Saginaw  County  with  the  office  of  coroner,  and  in  191 3  was  elected 
County  Physician,  which  office  he  now  holds.  His  fraternal  relations  are 
with  the  Masonic  Order,  including  the  Chapter  degree,  and  he  is  a  mem- 
ber and  is  medical  examiner  for  the  local  organization  of  the  Maccabees, 
the  Woodmen  of  the  \\'orId,  the  Royal  Neighbors,  the  Loyal  Mystic 
Legion,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Arbeiter  Society. 
At  Saginaw.  September  11,  1901,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of 
Dr.  Richter  and  ?iliss  Flspeth  R.  Grenney,  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Jeanette  Grenney.  Dr.  Richter  and  wife  are  both  popular  in  social  affairs, 
and  he  is  especially  fond  of  outdoor  sports,  and  takes  much  interest  in  the 
local  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

Hox.  Fr.\xk  L.  Dodge  commenced  his  professional  career  in  Lansing 
thirty-five  years  ago  and  both  as  a  lawyer  and  a  public  servant  has  earned 
a  substantial  and  honorable  reputation.  He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  at 
Oberlin,  Lorain  county,  in  1853,  the  son  of  Hervey  and  Angeline 
(  Stevens )  Dodge,  and  comes  of  distinguished  ancestry.  Hervey  Dodge, 
his  father,  was  born  in  Essex  county.  Massachusetts,  July  20,  1806,  and 
was  by  trade  a  cabinetmaker.  His  brother  was  the  father  of  the  manu- 
facturer of  the  well-known  Dodge  brand  of  shoes,  and  he  himself  was  a 
nephew  of  Nathan  Dane,  the  eminent  lawyer.  Angeline  Stevens,  the 
mother  of  Frank  L.  Dodge,  was  born  at  Haverhill.  New  Hampshire,  July 
22.  1812.  the  daughter  of  Col.  Bradstreet  Stevens,  whose  brother  served 
in  the  War  of  1812.  Her  remote  ancestry  was  of  Revolutionary  stock. 
E.  L.  Stevens,  her  brother,  was  for  thirty-five  years  chief  clerk  of  the 
Indian  Bureau,  at  Washington,  D.  C,  and  his  son.  Durham  White  Stevens, 
served  as  Japanese  consul  to  Korea.  After  working  at  his  trade  for  a 
number  of  years,  Harvey  Dodge  engaged  in  the  furniture  business  at 
Utica,  New  York,  from  w-hence  he  came  west  to  Ohio,  there  meeting  his 
future  wife,  who  had  migrated  to  that  state  in  young  womanhood.  The 
father  died  in  July.  1884.  while  the  mother  survived  until  January.  1890. 

Frank  L.  Dodge  received  ordinary  educational  advantages  in  Ohio, 
and  there  entered  a  business  career,  Ijut  after  some  years  as  a  merchant 
decided  to  adopt  the  profession  of  law,  and  accordingly  took  up  his 
studies  at  Eaton  Rapids,  Eaton  county,  Michigan,  in  the  office  of  the 
late  Hon.  Isaac  M.  Crane,  of  whom  he  became  a  partner  as  soon  as  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar.  In  1879  Mr.  Dodge  removed  to  Lansing,  where 
he  has  since  continued  successfully  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  for 
several  years  in  partnership  with  the  Hon.  C.  P.  Black,  formerly  United 
States  attorney  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Michigan.  In  his  long  and 
uniformlv  progressive  career  several  personal  traits  are  quite  noticeable, 
among  them  versatility  of  talents  combined  with  thoroughness  of  prepara- 
tion and  depth  of  legal  knowledge.  In  1885  Judge  Brown,  later  of  the 
Cnited  States  Supreme  Court,  appointed  Mr.  Dodge  Ignited  States  com- 
missioner, an  office  which  he  held  for  a  period  of  ten  years.  For  twelve 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Lansing  common  council  and  of  the  county 
board  of  supervisors.  In  1882  he  was  elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket 
to  the  Michigan  State  Legislature  and  was  re-elected  by  an  increased  ma- 


1896  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

jority  in  1884,  and  served  with  distinction,  ability  and  usefulness  in  the 
sessions  of  that  body,  introducing  and  in  many  cases  securing  the  passage 
of  a  number  of  the  most  important  measures.  In  1890  Mr.  Dodge  was 
elected  to  the  Michigan  State  Senate,  and  in  the  upper  body  of  the  legis- 
lature served  with  equal  distinction  as  he  had  in  the  lower.  Mr.  Dodge 
was  the  original  promoter  and  incorporator,  as  well  as  secretary,  of  the 
Lansing,  St.  Johns  and  St.  Louis  Railway  Company,  and  it  was  to  his 
efforts  and  unflagging  zeal  that  the  successful  completion  of  the  enter- 
prise was  chiefly  due. 

On  November  20,  1888,  Mr.  Dodge  was  married  to  Aliss  Abby  Turner, 
the  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  James  Turner,  and  youngest  sister  of  the 
late  Hon.  James  M.  Turner.  Five  children  have  been  born  to  this  union, 
namely :  Sophie  Dane,  Franklin  L.,  Jr.,  Wyllis  Osborne,  Joseph  Nichol- 
son and  Marion  Elizabeth. 

Edwin  Kersten.  Thirty  years  of  vigorous  business  enterprise,  of 
faithful  and  efficient  handling  of  many  trusts  and  responsibilities,  and  of 
public  spirited  citizenship,  have  marked  the  residence  of  Edwin  Kersten 
at  Saginaw.  Mr.  Kersten's  name  is  too  well  known  in  his  home  city  to 
require  an  introduction,  and  in  connection  with  general  insurance  busi- 
ness, with  which  he  has  been  identified  since  1889,  and  in  fraternal -and 
benevolent  circles,  and  in  civic  affairs,  it  has  always  been  synonymous 
with  the  punctuality  and  fidelitv  which  are  qualities  in  themselves  be- 
speaking the  highest  praise  to  their  possessor. 

Edwin  Kersten,  a  native  of  Germany  where  he  grew  up  and  lived  un- 
til early  manhood  was  born  March  27,  1861,  at  Brentau,  Kreis.  Danzig 
in  West  Prussia,  a  son  of  Julius  and  Emalai  ( Strahl )  Kersten.  The 
mother,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  in  1834,  is  still  a  resident  of  Saginaw, 
now  nearly  eighty  years  of  age,  and  well  known  in  the  older-German- 
American  circles  of  the  city.  When  Edwin  w'as  four  years  of  age  his 
father  died,  and  thus  the  burden  of  family  management  and  support  was 
largely  thrown  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  widow.  The  other  children  of 
the  family,  several  of  whom  are  residents  of  America,  are  mentioned  as 
follows :  Oscar  Kersten,  who  lives  in  his  native  citv  of  Germany  ;  Julius 
Kersten,  a  prominent  merchant  in  Saginaw,  since  1879;  Clara,  wife  of 
John  Galstrer,  who  is  a  prosperous  farmer  at  Frankenmuth,  in  Saginaw 
county;  Lena,  wife  of  Oliver  Goldsmith,  of  Detroit:  Hattie,  wife  of 
Charles  McKniglit,  who  for  thirtv  years  has  served  as  messenger  for  the 
R.  I.  Railroad  Company. 

AMien  eight  years  old  Edwin  Kersten  entered  the  Gymnasiiun  at  Culm, 
but  his  ambition  to  secure  a  college  education  was  made  impossible  of 
attainment  owing  to  the  financial  straits  of  the  widowed  mother.  -  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  therefore  he  decided  to  leave  college  in  order  to  lighten  his 
mother's  burden  and  in  1877  secured  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  postoffice 
at  Danzig,  his  native  town.  From  there  he  was  transferred  as  assistant 
postmaster  to  the  city  of  Thorn,  and  in  1883  had  become  one  of  the 
proficient  employes  in  the  postal  service.  However,  in  that  year  he  se- 
cured a  leave  of  absence  in  order  to  visit  his  mother  and  other  members 
of  the  family  who  had  imigrated  to  the  United  States  several  years  previ- 
ously, and  had  found  homes  in  Saginaw.  This  visit  proved  so  pleasant 
and  lirought  him  into  such  agreeable  associations  that  he  sought  and 
obtained  his  resignation  from  the  state  service  of  Prussia  in  1884,  and 
since  that  time  has  been  a  prominent  resident  of  Saginaw.  His  early 
education  and  experience  enabled  him  to  get  work  in  clerical  capacities, 
and  he  filled  every  office  with  credit. 

His  early  experiences  led  him  into  the  insurance  field,  and  since  1S93 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1897 

Mr.  Kersten  has  been  independently  engaged  in  general  insurance  and  also 
in  real  estate.  His  business  gradually  expanded,  and  at  the  present  time 
he  represents  seventeen  of  the  leading  companies  as  agent.  These  com- 
panies include  some  of  the  best  known  tire  companies,  also  plate  glass, 
employers  liability,  indemnity  bonds,  life,  automobile  and  tornado  and 
wind  storm  companies. 

In  191 1,  Mr.  Kersten  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  German 
American  State  Bank  of  Saginaw,  and  has  since  held  the  office  of  vice 
president.  His  business  offices  are  in  the  German  American  State  Bank 
Building,  at  the  corner  of  Hamilton  and  Hancock  streets.  ]\Ir.  Kersten 
is  also  a  director  in  the  Banner  Brewing  Company  of  Saginaw,  and  a  di- 
rector and  secretary  of  the  Saginaw  Cigar  Companv,  an  industry  of  much 
importance  locally. 

For  many  years,  much  of  his  time  and  interests  have  been  absorbed  in 
secret  and  benevolent  society  work,  and  also  in  public  affairs.  For  four 
years  he  has  been  a  Master  Mason  of  Germania  Lodge  No.  79,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.;  is  a  trustee  of  the  Knights  of  Honor;  Secretary  and  Treasurer 
of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor ;  has  membership  in  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees ;  has  the  honor  of  holding  the  only  life  membership  card 
in  the  Saginaw  Branch  of  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose,  being  founder  of 
Lodge  No.  82  of  that  order,  and  a  past  dictator ;  also  belongs  to  the 
Teutonia  Society,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  In 
1888  Mr.  Kersten  joined  the  Allgemeiner  Arbeiter  Bund  of  Michigan,  a 
German  Benevolent  Organization,  better  known  as  the  Arbeiter-Unter- 
stutzungs-\'erein.  In  1890  he  was  made  secretary  of  the  association,  in 
1893,  pi'esidcnt  of  the  board  of  trustees,  and  in  1S93  '''so  president  of  the 
association,  and  in  1898  president  of  the  association  for  the  entire  state 
of  Michigan,  holding  that  office  two  years.  In  1895,  Mr.  Kersten  was 
made  treasurer  of  the  association  for  the  state  of  Michigan,  and  exercised 
such  caie  and  energy  and  business  prudence  in  the  administration  of  that 
office  as  to  call  out  the  following  tribute  from  its  president,  "Allow  me 
to  congratulate  you  for  your  prompt  handling  of  the  business  entrusted 
to  you  in  the  capacity  of  treasurer.  That  is  what  I  call  efficiency.  To 
my  own  knowledge  the  orders  have  never  been  so  punctually  paid  as  un- 
der your  direction.  C)ne  who  had  sb  thorough  a  knowledge  of  the  office 
has  many  opportunities  for  excellent  service  in  this  way." 

Mr.  Kersten  although  always  active  in  behalf  of  the  Democratic  party 
has  never  sought  office,  but  has  been  nominated  and  elected  at  different 
times  to  places  of  responsibilities,  while  other  nominations  have  been  de- 
clined owing  to  his  absorption  in  his  varied  business  aft'airs.  In  1892  he 
filled  an  unexpired  term  as  alderman  from  the  twelfth  ward,  and  was  re- 
elected serving  from  1892  to  1894.  In  1897  he  was  made  deputy  county 
treasurer  of  Saginaw  county,  and  was  recently  Democratic  candidate  for 
city  treasurer  of  Saginaw.  Besides  his  extensive  business  in  insurance 
and  banking,  he  also  transacts  a  valuable  service  for  his  clients  as  a  notary 
public  and  title  abstract  work,  and  is  agent  for  several  of  the  leading 
steamship  lines. 

C)n  Januarv  22,  1888,  Edwin  Kersten  married  J\liss  Johanna  Rogner. 
of  Saginaw  county,  a  daughter  of  Alichael  and  Margaretha  ( Schnell ) 
Rogner.  To  their  marriage  have  been  born  eight  children:  Emma,  liv- 
ing with  her  parents;  Herman;  Edwin  Jr.,  assistant  to  his  father;  Rose, 
wife  of  Ernest  Grunow,  of  Saginaw;  Ernest,  a  student  in  the  Lutheran 
Seminary  and  preparing  for  the  ministery ;  Norman ;  Ida :  and  \'era. 
Mr.  Kersten  lives  at  415  North  Webster  Street.  His  only  recreations 
are  his  outing  trips  to  Mackinac  Island  during  the  summer  season.  His 
family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 


1898  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

John  L.  A.  Galster.  Than  the  lives  of  those  who  have  risen  from 
the  ranks  and  b}'  unswerving  integrity  and  consecutive  effort  have  con- 
quered fate,  there  is  nothing  more  interesting,  more  elevating  or  more 
encouraging.  The  sternest  opposition,  bitter  trials,  difficulties  apparently 
insurmountable,  sink  into  mere  shadows  before  energy,  self-reliance, 
application  and  earnest  perseverance  of  character.  Success  may  long 
elude,  but  it  is  certain  of  attainment  eventually  by  those  who  persistently 
and  perseveringly  strive.  These  facts  the  life  of  John  L.  A.  Galster  will 
illustrate. 

John  L.  A.  Galster  was  born  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  New  York,  May 
II,  1879,  and  is  a  son  of  John  J.  and  Louise  (Dauer)  Galster,  the  former 
a  native  of  Hamburg,  Germany,  and  the  latter  of  Alsace  Lorraine.  They 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  during  the  early  'seventies,  and  first  set- 
tled in  Ijuft'alo,  but  in  1870  removed  to  Boyne  Falls,  and  after  a  short 
stay  returned  to  Buft'alci.  Mr.  Galster  was  engaged  in  a  successful  busi- 
ness venture  there  until  the  year  1881,  at  which  time  he  disposed  of  his 
interests  and  again  went  to  Boyne  Falls,  where  for  the  past  thirty-three 
years  he  has  been  engaged  in  prosperous  mercantile  pursuits.  Mr.  Gal- 
ster is  one  of  his  community's  foremost  and  most  successful  business 
men,  and  his  name  is  identified  with  a  variety  of  interests,  all  connected 
with  the  industrial  and  commercial  activities  of  his  adopted  place.  Al- 
though he  is  a  very  busy  man,  his  extensive  operations  making  large  de- 
mands upon  his  attention,  he  has  found  the  opportunity  and  the  inclina- 
tion to  serve  his  city,  his  county  and  his  state  in  various  official  capaci- 
ties, and  since  1914  has  been  postmaster  at  Boyne  Falls.  Although  a 
self-educated  man,  keen  observation  and  broad  experience  have  given 
him  a  great  fund  of  general  information  and  few  have  a  better  knowl- 
edge of  the  real  issues  of  the  day.  Seven  children  were  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Galster,  as  follows :  Louise,  born  in  Buft'alo,  now  the  wife 
of  Benjamin  E.  Rine,  of  Detroit ;  John  L.  A. ;  Clara,  born  at  Buft'alo, 
who  resides  with  her  parents :  Elizabeth  and  Anna,  also  living  at  home ; 
Charles,  who  is  interested  with  John  L.  A.  in  the  L'nioii  Cigar  Cooper- 
ative Store,  and  Henry,  who  is  associated  in  the  insurance  business  with 
his  brother,  John  L.  A.,  at  Petoskey. 

John  L.  A.  Galster  received  his  early  educational  training  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Boyne  Falls,  to  which  place  he  was  taken  as  a  child,  and 
when  seventeen  years  of  age  began  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world, 
his  first  position  l^eing  in  the  capacity  of  solicitor  for  the  Michigan  Acci- 
dent Insurance  Association,  of  Kalamazoo.  This  company  did  not  suc- 
ceed, and  seven  months  after  Mr.  Galster  began  his  connection  with  it 
the  concern  closed  its  doors,  he  at  that  time  finding  employment  with  the 
LTnited  States  Health  and  Accident  Company  of  Saginaw.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year,  so  excellent  had  been  his  work  that  he  was  made  district 
manager  for  the  Michigan  Home  and'  Hospital  Insurance  Company,  of 
Grand  Rapids,  and  remained  with  that  company  seven  vears,  resigning 
his  position,  in  which  he  had  shown  his  aljility  and  worth  to  the  insur- 
ance world,  to  accept  the  state  agency  for  the  National  Casualty  Com- 
pany of  Detroit,  his  headquarters  and  offices  being  at  Petoskey,  where 
he  made  a  fine  record  for  his  company.  In  1905  Mr.  Galster  purchased 
the  interest  of  E.  Barnum,  of  the  firm  of  Wachtel  &  Barnum,  prominent 
in  the  real  estate  and  insurance  trade  in  this  city,  with  which  he  was 
identified  until  it  was  dissolved  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Galster's  partner, 
Philip  E.  \\'achtel,  November  16,  1913.  On  January  i,  1914,  Mr.  Gal- 
ster purchased  Mr.  Wachtel's  interest  from  the  members  of  his  estate 
and  since  that  time  has  continued  in  business  alone.  From  191 1  to  1913 
he  was  president  of  the  Michigan  Association  of  Insurance  Agents.  Air. 
Galster  has  always  been  greatly  interested  in  real  estate  matters,  handling 
large   tracts   of    farming  property  and  city   realty,   residences,   business 


^THI  NEW  mt 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1899 

blocks,  etc..  and  has  met  with  much  success  in  his  various  ventures.  The 
greater  part  of  his  attention, 'however,  has  been  given  to  the  insurance 
business,  for  success  in  w'hich  he  possesses  the  pecuHar  quahties  so 
necessary  to  the  man  who  would  attain  prosperity  in  this  tield.  He  has 
large  and  well  equipped  offices,  modern  in  every  appointment,  where  he 
employs  several  stenographers.  Other  lines  of  endeavor  have  had  the 
benefit  of  Mr.  Galster"s  good  management  and  business  acumen,  he  being 
one-half  owner  of  the  Royal  Cigar  Company,  and  Union  Cigar  Company, 
two  leading  retail  businesses  of  Petoskey,  was  one  of  the  organizers  and 
one-half  owner  of  the  Northern  Automobile  Company,  of  Petoskey,  and 
its  president  for  its  organization  October  I,  1912,  until  he  recently  dis- 
posed of  his  holdings  :  and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Petoskey 
Construction  Company,  which  built  three  miles  of  stone  road  in  Emmett 
county.  A  lover  of  all  things  beautiful,  he  has  been  able  as  chairman  of 
the  park  board  to  contribute  to  the  appearance  of  Petoskey,  and  in  vari- 
ous other  w-ays  has  advanced  its  welfare.  He  is  also  president  of  Petos- 
key Automobile  Association.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Galster  is  connected  with 
the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  His  political  views  are 
those  of  the  Republican  party. 

On  November  7,  1903,  Mr.  Galster  was  married  at  Petoskey,  to  Miss 
Rena  Buell,  a  native  of  Union  City,  Michigan,  and  daughter  of  David 
and  Eliza  (Dean)  Buell.  She  is  an  active  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  has  been  well  known  for  her  helpful  .work  as  a  member  of 
the  Ladies  Aid  Society  and  in  various  charitable  movements.  Mr.  Gal- 
ster has  the  happy  faculty  of  making  friends,  and  the  still  more  rare 
and  desirable  accomplishment  of  keeping  them.  Among  his  acquaint- 
ances and  admirers  are  to  be  found  men  who  are  prominent  in  all  parts 
of  the  state.  He  seldom  takes  a  vacation,  but  when  he  does  indulge 
himself  in  a  rest  from  the  activities  and  worries  of  business  life  gener- 
ally takes  his  rod  or  gun  and  haunts  the  fields  and  stream  in  search  of 
game.  He  is  also  a  dyed-in-the-wool  baseball  fan.  and  may  frequently 
be  found  attending  the  national  pastime.  A  self-made  man  in  every 
sense,  while  he  has  been  rising  to  success  he  has  not  failed  to  help  others 
in  their  struggles.  His  pleasant  home  at  Petoskey,  which  is  but  one  of 
his  many  properties,  is  one  of  the  commodious  residences  of  the  city, 
and  is  frequently  the  scene  of  social  gatherings. 

Albert  Elwood  Snow.  I'resent  city  attorney  of  Saginaw,  Mr.  Snow 
is  one  of  the  prominent  younger  members  of  the  Saginaw  bar,  and  he  is 
a  son  of  the  late  Judge  Byron  A.  Snow,  who  for  a  long  period  of  years 
was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  lawyers  and  jurists  of  northeastern 
Michigan. 

Bvron  Albert  Snow  was  born  in  Jackson  county,  Michigan,  grew  up 
in  modest  circumstances,  used  his  talents  to  fit  himself  for  the  work  of 
education,  and  for  -more  than  three  years  followed  teaching  1)oth  in  his 
home  state  and  in  Kansas.  While  a  teacher  he  took  up  the  study  of  law. 
was  admitted  to  practice,  and  gained  recognition  as  one  of  the  ablest  law- 
yers of  the  Saginaw  county  bar,  having  begun  his  practice  in  that  county 
in  1883.  In  1896  came  liis  election  to  the  circuit  bench  of  the  Tenth 
Judicial  district,  In  1899  he  was  reelected  and  again  in  1905,  he  was 
honored  with  that  high  dignity.  Judge  Snow  was  for  years  one  of  the 
leading  Democrats  of  Saginaw  county,  before  his  election  to  the  bench 
was  on  the  stump  in  his  district  in  nearly  every  campaign.  As  an  orator 
he  had  a  reputation  of  one  of  the  most  effective  in  the  state,  and  exer- 
cised an  important  influence  in  public  affairs.  In  1903  he  had  the  in- 
dorsement of  all  the  opposing  parties  for  his  reelection  to  the  bench.  Dur- 
ing the  eighties  from   1880  to  1889,  he  represented  Saginaw  county  in 


1900  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

the  state  legislature.  The  record  of  his  judicial  career  was  one  of  the 
most  scrupulous  impartiality  of  tine  learning  and  profound  judgment,  and 
he  will  be  remembered  with  esteem  by  the  members  of  the  Saginaw  bar 
as  long  as  one  remains  who  ever  practiced  in  his  court.  His  death  oc- 
curred one  month  after  his  reelection  on  May  5,  IQ05.  Seldom  has  the 
passing  of  a  lawyer  in  the  Saginaw  bar  produced  more  profound  sorrow 
than  the  death  of  Judge  Snow,  and  the  county. bar  association  drew  up 
resolutions  which  went  beyond  the  formal  tone  of  such  tributes,  and  in- 
dicated the  sincere  esteem  which  members  of  the  bar  as  a  whole  felt  for 
the  distinguished  judge  who  had  just  passed  away.  The  widow  of  Judge 
Snow  now  lives  in  Jackson,  Michigan.  There  were  three  children,  as 
follows:  Dr.  Arthur  B.  Snow,  who  is  now  established  in  the  practice  of 
dentistry  at  Saginaw;  Albert  E.  Snow,  and  Alice  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
\\'alter  R.  Snow,  of  Jackson,  Michigan. 

Albert  Elwood  Snow  was  born  in  Jackson,  Jackson  countv.  Michi- 
gan, July  16,  1878,  a  son  of  Judge  Byron  Albert  and  Annie  (Stevens) 
Snow.  Both  his  parents  were  born  in  Jackson  county.  Mr.  Snow  has 
spent  practically  all  his  career  in  Saginaw  county,  and  was  reared  in  the 
village  of  Chesaning,  being  a  graduate  of  the  high  school  of  that  \illage 
in  1897.  Entering  the  State  University  in  18915.  he  was  graduated  in 
law  with  the  class  of  1902,  and  began  his  practice  in  the  city  of  Saginaw, 
where  his  father  and  family  had  taken  up  their  residence  in  1897.  Air. 
Snow  has  been  successful  from  the  start  of  his  practice  and  now  has  a 
well  established  name  and  reputation  in  the  local  bar.  On  January,  191 1, 
came  his  first  appointment  as  city  attorney  for  a  term  of  two  years,  and 
his  efficient  administration  of  that  office  brought  about  his  reappointment 
in  January,  1913,  for  another  two  year  term.  Judge  Snow,  as  alreadv 
mentioned,  was  one  of  the  leading  Democrats  of  Michigan.  The  son, 
however,  has  taken  an  equally  strong  stand  in  the  Republican  ranks,  and 
is  fre<iuently  engaged  in  the  campaigns  through  his  district.  Mr.  Snow 
is  a  member  of  the  County  Bar  Association,  is  attorney  and  director  for 
the  Saginaw  Building  &  Loan  Association,  and  outside  of  his  profession 
finds  only  occasional  opportunities  for  diversion  or  other  pursuits.  Now 
and  then  he  takes  hunting  trips  along  the  shores  of  Lake  Huron,  usually 
accompanied  by  his  w-ife  and  daughter.  Mr.  Snow  was  married  August 
23.  1905,  to  Miss  Zella  Berst.  wdio  was  born  in  Leesburg,  Indiana,  a 
daughter  of  Henry  L.  and  Mary  (  \\'ood  )  Berst.  They  have  one  daughter, 
Mary  Snow.  Mr.  Snow  is  a  Royal  .Arch  Mason  and  also  belongs  to  the 
Elks  Lodge  in  Saginaw. 

Erxst  W'e.vzel,  a  substantial  business  man  of  Detroit,  contracting  in 
plumbing,  heating  appliances  and  electrical  work  at  Xo.  636  AIcDougal 
avenue,  was  born  in  the  state  of  Pommern,  Germany,  May  4.  i8fifi,  and 
is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Theresa  (Burau)  W'enzel.  His  father,  following 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  and  grandfather,  adopted  the  calling  of 
blacksmith,  and  was  so  engaged  until  the  time  of  his  death.  Ten  years 
later  the  mother  brought  her  four  sons  and  one  daughter  to  the  L'nited 
.States,  locating  at  once  in  Detroit,  her  death  occurring  in  191 1,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-one  years,  at  the  daughter's  home  on  the  East  Side. 

Ernst  Wenzel  was  but  five  years  of  age  when  his  father  died,  and 
his  educational  training  was  mainly  confined  to  the  German  schools.  Mr. 
AA'enzel  was  fourteen  vears  of  age  when  he  started  to-  work  in  Detroit, 
and  for  a  time  was  employed  at  the  Casket  Works  and  the  shops  of  the 
Alichigan  Central  Railroad.  In  1893  Mr.  Wenzel  joined  his  brother.  Paul, 
who  was  engaged  in  the  plumbing  business,  and  while  his  work  was 
largelv  of  a  clerical  nature,  Mr.  Wenzel  so  thoroughly  learned  the  busi- 
ness that  he  felt  himself  prepared  to  become  the  proprietor  of  an  estab- 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  11301 

lishment  and  in  1901  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Biirau  &  W'enzel. 
This  firm  opened  a  store  on  Gratiot  avenue  and  the  partnership  continued 
for  about  one  year,  when  Mr.  Wenzel  went  into  business  under  his  own 
name  at  Nos.  879-881  Gratiot  avenue,  there  continuing  ten  years.  Air. 
Wenzel's  present  place  of  business,  modern  in  ever}'  respect,  was  erected 
by  him  in  1912,  at  No.  636  McDougal  avenue. 

Mr.  Wenzel  is  a  member  of  the  Builders  and  Traders  Exchange  and 
of  the  Master  Plumbers  Association,  of  which  latter  he  has  been  an  ofifi- 
cial.  His  religious  connection  is  with  Salem  congregation  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  Mr.  Wenzel  married  Miss  Man,-  Schroeder,  a  native  of  De- 
troit, who  died  January  i,  1904,  having  been  the  mother  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, and  the  five  living  are:  Ernst,  Jr.,  a  school  teacher  of  Marysville, 
Ohio ;  Clara ;  Walter,  who  is  engaged  in  business  with  his  father ;  Helen 
and  David  at  a  Lutheran  high  school.  Mr.  Wenzel  married  for  his  sec- 
ond wife  Miss  Julia  Wickley,  a  native  of  Switzerland,  and  they  have 
had  one  daughter,  Julia. 

Clarence  AIerrill  Browne.  A  practicing  lawyer  and  member  of 
the  Saginaw  bar  since  1899,  Clarence  Merrill  Browne,  has  gained  a  num- 
ber of  distinctive  successes  both  in  his  profession  and  in  the  related  field 
of  politics. 

Clarence  Merrill  Browne  was  born  in  the  city  of  Saginaw,  March  26, 
1876,  and  is  a  son  of  William  H.  and  Elizabeth  (Wisewell)  Browne. 
Both  parents  were  born  in  the  state  of  Maine,  and  were  married  during 
the  epoch  of  the  Civil  war.  They  settled  in  Saginaw,  in  1866,  and  the 
father  was  employed  by  lumbering  firms.  The  parents  are  now  living,  a 
well  known  old  couple  in  Saginaw.  During  the  war  William  II.  Browne 
enlisted  from  his  native  state  in  Company  I  of  the  Sixth  Maine  Infantry, 
and  served  until  the  end  of  the  war.  His  sen-ice  was  in  the  army  of  the 
Potomac  under  General  McClelland.  Among  the  battles  in  which  he  par- 
ticipated were  those  of  Gettysburg,  the  \\'ilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Fred- 
ericksburg, Warren  Hill,  Chancellorsville,  Lookout  Mountain,  and  Kene- 
saw  Mountain.  Though  a  Union  soldier,  he  has  always  espoused  the 
party  of  Jefferson  and  Jackson. 

Clarence  Merrill  Browne,  the  only  son  of  his  parents,  was  educated  in 
the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  Saginaw,  and  took  up  the  study  of  law 
in  the  office  of  Benton  Hanchett,  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  distinguished 
members  of  the  Michigan  Bar.  He  also  studied  in  the  offices  of  the  late 
Judge  Barron  A.  Snow.  On  October  13,  1899,  Mr.  Browne  successfully 
"stood  the  examination  before  the  State  Bar  Association,  and  started  in 
practice  at  Saginaw  with  Frank  A.  Rockwith  as  associate.  In  1901  came 
his  appointment  as  assistant  prosecuting  attorney  under  John  F.  O'Keefe. 
His  term  of  service  in  that  capacity  continued  four  years,  and  for  two 
years  he  was  assistant  prosecutor  with  his  former  associate,  F.  A.  Rock- 
with. In  1907  Mr.  Browne  was  regularly  elected  to  the  office  of  prosecut- 
ing attorney  of  Saginaw  county,  and  gave  an  administration  of  that  office 
with  a  fidelity  and  efficiency  seldom  equalled  up  to  January,  1913.  Mr. 
Browne  is  a  member  of  the  State  and  County  Bar  Association,  and  has 
served  as  vice  president  of  the  local  association.  Fraternally  he  is  affi- 
liated with  the  Roval  Arch  Masons,  and  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  His 
politics  is  Republican,  a  fact  which  indicates  his  complete  independence 
of  family  traditions.  He  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  state  and 
countv  politics,  and  it  is  said  that  no  man  in  the  city  of  Saginaw  is  better 
posted  on  the  political  complexion  of  the  various  wards  and  precints  of 
city  and  county.  Although  he  has  not  distinguished  himself  as  an  orator, 
yet  his  thorough  knowledge  and  quiet  effective  methods  have  been  very 
beneficial  to  his  party.  He  has  always  proved  that  success  regularly  at- 
Voi.  IV— 10 


1902  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

tends  the  candidate  whose  cause  he  takes  up.  He  is  a  man  whose  course 
has  been  devoid  of  trickery  or  chicanery,  and  this  fact  alone  has  given  him 
a  large  body  of  friends  and  supporters.  He  counts  many  men  of  promi- 
nence among  his  personal  friends,  men  who  hold  the  highest  offices  in 
state  and  national  politics. 

On  August  19,  1903,  Mr.  Browne  was  united  in  marriage  with  Aliss 
Rosamond  F.  Savage,  who  was  born  in  Saginaw,  a  daughter  of  George 
W.  Savage  of  this  city.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Dorothy  Jane 
Browne.  Mr.  Browne  has  his  offices  as  a  lawyer  in  the  Hamilton  Square 
Building  in  West  Saginaw. 

Ai.oxzo  \'iNCENT.  One  of  the  best  known  men  of  Southwestern 
Michigan  is  Alonzo  Vincent,  of  St.  Joseph,  Berrien  county,  who  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  affairs  of  St.  Joseph  and  Benton  Harbor 
and  of  the  state  for  many  years.  As  a  hotel  man  he  has  won  much  more 
than  local  reputation,  and  his  magnificent  Hotel  W'hitcomb,  and  the  baths 
in  connection  therewith,  are  known  all  over  the  West.  Mr.  \'incent  is  a 
native  of  New  York  state,  born  at  Clayton,  Jefferson  county,  January 
ift,  18-14,  a  son  of  Albert  and  Harriet  (Slater)  \'incent,  also  natives  of 
the  Empire  state. 

The  \^incent  family  came  to  Michigan  in  1845  ^"d  located  first  at 
Marshall,  where  they  resided  for  a  period  of  three  years,  in  184S  remov- 
ing to  Berrien  county  and  settling  on  a  farm  in  this  then  undeveloped 
region,  where  they  contributed  largely  to  the  early  development  of  the 
section  and  won  success  in  agricultural  lines.  There  thev  resided  until 
1880,  in  which  year  they  removed  to  Benton  Harbor,  and  in  that  city 
Albert  \"incent  passed  away  five  years  later.  He  was  at  all  times  known 
as  a  good,  energetic  and  industrious  business  man,  and  as  a  public-spirited 
citizen  took  part  in  the  movements  which  made  for  advancement  and 
progress. 

Alonzo  Vincent  was  an  infant  of  one  year  when  brought  to  Michigan 
bv  his  parents.  He  was  reared  in  the  rural  community  of  Berrien  county, 
was  brought  up  to  the  pursuits  of  the  farm,  and  secured  his  education 
in  the  schools  which  the  young  yet  growing  locality  furnished  its  youth 
Mr.  A'incent  was  but  a  lad  of  seventeen  years  when  the  Civil  War  swept 
the  country,  yet  he  was  patriotic  and  zealous  and  in  1861  was  accepted  as 
a  soldier  in  Company  D,  Sixty-sixth  Regiment,  Illinois  \'olunteer  Infantry, 
which  won  widespread  fame  and  glory  as  the  "Western  Sharpshooters." 
This  regiment  of  sharpshooters  was  recruited  from  practically  every  west- 
ern state,  and  after  its  organization,  in  order  to  give  it  a  name  and  rank, 
a  census  of  its  members  was  taken,  with  the  understanding  that  the  state 
furnishing  the  largest  number  of  men  would  have  the  honor  of  naming 
the  organization.  It  therefore  became  the  Sixty-sixth  Illinois,  that  state 
furnishing  the  greatest  number  of  its  members,  but  throughout  the  war 
was  known  by  its  more  suggestive  and  decorative  title.  Air.  \^incent 
saw  service  in  some  of  the  most  important  and  hotly-contested'  battles  of 
the  great  struggle  between  the  North  and  the  South,  including  the  battles 
of  Fort  Donelson.  Shiloh  and  luka.  the  siege  and  battle  of  Corinth,  and 
many  others  of  a  smaller  order.  Later,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Fif- 
teenth Army  Corps,  Gen.  John  A.  Logan  commanding,  and  was  with 
his  regiment  on  Sherman's  famous  March  to  the  Sea.  thence  up  through 
the  Carolinas  and  \'irginia  and  on  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  par- 
ticipated in  the  Grand  Review  before  President  Lincoln  at  the  national 
capital.  Mr.  \'incent  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  at  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, in  July,  1865,  with  an  excellent  record  as  a  soldier.  He  had  left  his 
home  some  four  years  before  a  mere  boy.  but  he  returned  a  full-grown 
man,  with  all  of  man's  experience  and  hardened  by  numerous  campaigns. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1903 

Returning  to  Berrien  county,  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  at  ColcDnia 
and  continued  there  until  he  removed  to  Benton  Harbor  and  took  charge 
of  the  American  House.  In  July,  1890,  Mr.  Vincent  became  proprietor 
of  the  Hotel  Benton,  at  Benton  Harbor,  which  he  succeeded  in  building 
up  to  what  was  considered  one  of  the  best  commercial  hostolrics  in 
Southwestern  Michigan.  In  1895  ^^  disposed  of  his  interests  in  that 
property  and,  removing  to  St.  Joseph,  took  charge  of  the  Hotel  Whit- 
comb.  Two  years  later  he  bought  the  property,  and  has  since  owtied  and 
conducted  it.  This  hotel  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  valuable  ven- 
tures in  the  state,  and  has  been  so  conducted  by  Mr.  Vincent  that  it  has 
grown  and  developed  with  each  year,  while  the  hotel  mineral  bath  annex 
is  one  of  the  largest  bath  houses  in  Michigan  and  is  doing  a  flourishing 
business.  Mr.  Vincent  is  an  ideal  host,  fully  conversant  with  the  needs, 
desires  and  privileges  of  his  guests,  and  with  a  commendable  desire  to 
furnish  them  with  all  possible  comforts.  His  long  connection  with  hotel 
atfairs  has  brought  him  a  wide  acquaintance,  not  onlv  among  hotel  men, 
but  among  the  traveling  public  in  general,  and  there  are  few  proprietors 
who  have  so  many  warm  friends  as  he. 

Mr.  Vincent  has  been  prominent  in  republican  politics  in  Ber'Men 
county  and  the  state  for  many  years,  and  while  he  has  never  .sought  pub- 
lic office,  has  been  honored  by  the  state.  In  1901  he  was  appointed 
warden  of  the  Michigan  State  Prison  at  Jackson,  a  position  filled  with 
credit  to  himself  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  state  until  1905,  his 
term  extending  a  little  more  than  four  years.  Mr.  \'incent  is  a  memijer 
of  George  H.  Thomas  Post,  Grand  Amiy  of  the  Republic,  and  of  Lake 
Shore  Lodge  No.  298,  F.  &  A.  M. 

In  1866  Mr.  Vincent  married  Elmira  E.  Enos,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Lucy  (Young)  Enos,  of  Bainbridge  township,  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan, where  the  family  were  pioneers.  Two  daughters  have  been  born  to 
this  union,  namely :  Maude  E.,  who  married  Clarence  E.  Blake,  iden- 
tified with  the  management  of  the  Hotel  W'hitcomb,  and  has  four  chil- 
dren— Eugenia,  Alonzo,  Clara  E.  and  Mary ;  and  Gertrude  Marie,  v.  ho 
married  W.  S.  Bastur,  of  Benton  Harbor. 

Judge  Arthur  William  Ganschow.  Judge  of  probate  to  Saginaw 
county,  an  office  to  which  he  was  elected  in  1912,  following  ten  years  of 
.service  as  judge  of  the  recorder's  court.  Arthur  William  Ganschow  is  a 
lawyer  by  profession  and  a  member  of  the  Saginaw  county  bar  since  1899. 
He  is  in  no  sense  a  professional  politician,  and  it  was  only  at  the  solicita- 
tion of  his  friends  that  he  consented  to  enter  the  political  arena,  and  accept 
the  burdens  of  public  office. 

Arthur  William  Ganschow  was  born  May  8,  1878,  a  son  of  Frank  R. 
and  Augusta  C.  ( Wurtzel )  Ganschow.  His  parents  were  both  born  in 
Germany.  Grandfather  Frederick  Ganschow,  founder  of  the  American 
branch  of  this  family,  came  to  Michigan  and  settled  in  Saginaw  when  his 
son  Frank  was  a  boy.  Grandfather  Frederick  Ganschow  was  a  pattern 
maker  by  trade,  having  learned  the  art  in  Germany,  and  for  many  years 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  F.  Bartlett  Foundry  Company  of  Saginaw. 
Frank  R.  Ganschow  on  the  other  hand  was  a  printer  by  trade,  having 
learned  that  art  in  Cincinnati.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  army, 
and  went  through  the  struggle  from  beginning  to  end.  At  the  conclusion 
of  hostilities  he  returned  to  Michigan  and  located  in  Saginaw  for  several 
years,  where  his  name  and  enterprise  were  identified  with  the  ownership 
and  editorial  management  of  the  Sagimm'an,  a  publication  which  is  still 
in  existence.  This  enterprise  was  conducted  with  considerable  success  by 
the  late  Mr.  Ganschow.  He  possessed  a  large  following  of  friends,  and 
his  intellectual  ability  and  personal  character  made  him  in  every  sense  a 


1904  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

leader.  His  wife  died  January  2,  1907.  Of  the  eight  children  in  the 
family,  five  are  now  deceased.  Frank  W.  Ganschow  is  president  of  the 
Commercial  and  Society  Printing  Company,  and  a  well  known  Saginaw 
business  man ;  the  only  daughter  is  Augusta  Ganschow,  whose  home  is 
in  Pasadena,  California. 

Judge  Ganschow  grew  up  in  Saginaw,  attended  the  grammar  and 
high  schools,  and  in  the  class  of  1891)  was  graduated  LL.  B.  from  the 
University  of  Michigan.  His  first  work  was  as  an  assistant  in  the  office 
of  James  H.  Davitt,  a  prominent  Saginaw  attorney.  Six  months  later 
he  left  Saginaw,  and  spent  a  year  and  a  half  in  the  northwestern  states, 
in  Washington,  Idaho  and  California,  and  was  variously  engaged  in 
newspaper  work,  mining  and  other  ventures.  On  his  return  to  this  city, 
in  the  summer  of  1902,  he  opened  law  offices  with  A.  Elwood  Snow, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Ganschow  &  Snow.  He  had  been  in  Saginaw 
but  a  few  months  when  the  importunities  of  his  friends  induced  him  to 
enter  politics,  and  he  was  a  successful  candidate  in  November,  1902,  for 
the  office  of  judge  of  the  Recorder's  courts.  His  name  was  on  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket,  and  he  was  again  and  again  returned  to  the  office  until  the 
fall  of  191 2.  In  the  meantime  he  had  been  nominated,  and  in  November 
was  elected,  judge  of  prol^ate  for  Saginaw  County,  and  entered  upon  his 
official  duties  in  that  delicate  and  important  office  in  January,  1913. 

Judge  Ganschow  belongs  to  the  Saginaw  County  Bar  Association, 
has  taken  the  dift'erent  degrees  in  Masonry,  and  belongs  to  the  Mystic 
.Shrine,  is  past  exalted  ruler  of  the  Elks,  is  past  dictator  of  the  local 
lodge  of  the  Moose,  and  is  affiliated  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  the  Arbeiter  Society.  In  November,  1902,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Judge  Ganschow  to  Miss  Dorris  F.  Wells,  who  was  born  in 
Saginaw,  a  daughter  of  Julius  and  Adeline  Wells,  of  Saginaw,  Michigan. 
The  chief  characteristics  of  Judge  Ganschow  are  a  quick  and  brilliant 
mind,  and  active,  alert  disposition,  and  he  is  a  witty  and  genial  man 
whose  personality  has  brought  to  him  scores  of  stauncli  and  lasting 
friendships.  During  his  high  school  and  college  days  his  popularity  was 
already  well  established,  and  he  was  president  of  his  class  in  the  senior 
year  in  high  school.  He  was  also  distinguished  in  athletic  sports,  and 
is  still  an  enthusiast   for  all  clean  outdoor  sports. 

Homer  Sly.  As  secretary,  treasurer  and  general  manager  of  the 
Petoskev  Crushed  Stone  Company,  one  of  the  most  extensive  concerns 
of  its  kind  in  Northern  Michigan,  Mr.  Sly  is  known  as  an  influential  fig- 
ure in  industrial  and  civic  affairs  in  Emmet  county,  and  he  has  had  the 
distinction  of  serving  as  mayor  of  the  beautiful  city  which  is  now  his 
home.  He  is  a  scion  of  a  well  known  pioneer  family  of  this  section  of 
the  Wolverine  State  and  though  he  is  a  native  of  Illinois  he  has  been, 
save  for  a  few  years,  a  resident  of  Michigan  from  childhood.  Imbued 
with  distinctive  progressiveness  and  marked  civic  loyalty,  he  has  been 
influential  in  the  furtherance  of  enterprises  and  measures  that  have  con- 
served the  general  welfare  of  Petoskev,  and  he  is  specially  worthy  of 
recognition  in  this  publication. 

Mr.  Sly  was  born  at  Lockport,  Will  county,  Illinois,  on  the  ist  of 
October,  1871,  and  is  a  son  of  Eugene  R.  and  Emma  J.  (  Spicer)  Sly, 
both  of  whom  live  at  Bay  Shore,  Charlevoix  county,  Michigan.  Eugene 
R.  Sly  has  been  a  prominent  figure  in  connection  with  the  lime  and  stone 
industry  at  Bay  Shore  and  Petoskey  and  is  now  living  virtually  retired, 
his  home  being  at  Bay  Shore.  Of  the  four  children  the  eldest  is  Elliott 
M.,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  Kennewick,  Yakima  county,  Wa.shington ; 
Homer,  of  this  review,  was  the  next  in  order  of  birth:  Lora  is  the  wife 
of  Orville  C.  Atwood  and  they  reside  near  Benton  Harbor,  Alichigan ; 


THI  JdW  irj»« 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1905 

and  Ruth  is  the  wife  of  Eugene  D.  Pennell,  a  popular  teacher  iii  the 
schools  of  the  city  of  Minneapolis,  ^^linnesota.  Eugene  R.  Sly  has  long 
been  well  and  favorably  known  in  the  business  and  civic  activities  of 
Northern  Michigan  and  he  has  the  distinction  of  being  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War,  in  which  he  served  as  a  gallant  soldier  in  an  Illinois  regiment. 
He  participated  in  many  engagements  and  was  captured  at  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga,  after  which  he  was  held  as  a  prisoner  of  war  for  eighteen 
months.  He  is  a  stalwart  Republican  in  politics  and  in  the  piping  times 
of  peace  he  has  ever  shown  the  same  spirit  of  loyalty  that  impelled  him 
to  go  forth  in  defense  of  the  Union  when  the  integrity  of  the  nation  was 
in  jeopardy. 

To  the  public  schools  of  Petoskey  Homer  Sly,  former  mayor  of  the 
city,  is  indebted  for  his  early  educational  discipline,  which  was  supple- 
mented by  a  course  in  Ferris  Institute,  at  Big  Rapids.  There  he  con- 
tinued his  studies  until  he  had  attained  to  his  legal  majority,  in  1892, 
after  which  he  devoted  one  year  to  the  teaching  of  shorthand,  in  the  city 
of  ]\Iuskegon.  He  then  spent  two  years  in  Chicago  in  connection  with 
the  World's  Columbian  E.xposition,  after  which  he  went  to  Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  assumed  the  position  of  stenographer  in  the 
offices  of  the  Westinghouse  Electric  &  Manufacturing  Company,  a  post 
which  he  retained  until  1894,  after  which  he  was  in  charge  of  the  re- 
pair department  of  the  Westinghouse  Machine  Company,  in  the  same 
city,  until  1899.  In  these  connections  Mr.  Sly  gained  experience  which 
has  proved  of  inestimable  value  to  him  in  his  independent  career,  and  he 
ascribes  much  importance  to  the  close  association  which  he  had  with  that 
master  of  detail,  the  great  inventor,  George  Westinghouse,  with  whom 
he  came  in  daily  contact  and  whose  memory  he  greatly  honors. 

In  1899  Mr.  Sly  resigned  his  position  at  Pittsburgh  and  became  secre- 
tary and  manager  of  the  Bay  Shore  Lime  Company,'  at  Bay  Shore, 
Michigan,  his  father  having  been  at  the  time  the  executive  head  of  the 
company.  At  Bay  Shore  he  continued  to  be  closely  and  effectively  iden- 
tified with  the  management  of  the  business  of  this  corporation  until 
1905,  when  he  accepted  the  position  of  manager  of  the  Elk  Cement  & 
Lime  Company,  at  Elk  Rapids,  Antrim  county.  He  had  much  influence 
in  the  development  of  the  business  of  this  company,  as  he  had  not  only 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  practical  details  of  the  enterprise  but  also  an 
admirable  administrative  ability.  In  1908  Mr.  Sly  became  actively 
identified  with  the  Northern  Lime  Company,  in  which  he  is  still  a  stock- 
holder, and  he  is  a  valued  executive  officer  of  this  corporation,  which  is 
one  of  the  most  important  of  its  kind  in  this  section  of  the  State.  In 
191 1  Mr.  Sly  was  tendered  and  accepted  the  position  of  secretary,  treas- 
urer and  manager  of  the  Petoskey  Crushed  Stone  Company,  and  this  in- 
cumbencv  he  has  since  retained,  his  services  having  inured  greatly  to  the 
benefit  of  the  company,  which  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  largest 
shipper  from  Petoskey  over  the  line  of  the  Pere  Marquette  Railroad,  its 
shipments  averaging  from  thirty  to  forty  thousand  tons  of  crushed  stone 
each  month. 

As  a  Republican  ^Ir.  Sly  has  been  zealous  in  the  support  of  the  party 
cause  and  has  been  influential  in  local  politics.  During  1912-13  he  served 
as  mayor  of  Petoskey,  having  been  elected  by  a  gratifying  majority  and 
having  given  a  characteristically  eft'ective  and  business-like  administra- 
tion of  municipal  afifairs.  He  is  one  of  the  aggressi\e  business  men  and 
progressive  citizens  of  the  fair  city  of  which  he  was  formerly  chief  execu- 
tive, has  secure  place  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem  and  is  an  active 
and  valued  member  of  the  Petoskey  Board  of  Trade. 

In  the  Masonic  fraternity  Mr.  Sly  has  received  the  thirty-second 
degree  of  the  Ancient   Accepted   Scottish  Rite,  besides  being  affiliated 


1906  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

with  the  Ancient  Araliic  Order  of  the  Xobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He 
is  past  commander  of  the  Petoskey  camp  of  the  Sons  of  \'eterans,  is  pres- 
ent commander  of  the  local  commandery  of  the  Knights  Templars,  and 
is  affiliated  also  with  the  United  Commercial  Travelers.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

On  the  2ist  of  December,  1894,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Air. 
Sly  to  Miss  Edith  Doe,  daughter  of  Calvin  \V.  Doe,  a  prominent  real- 
estate  dealer  at  Big  Rapids,  Michigan,  of  which  city  he  was  formerly 
mayor.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sly  have  one  daughter,  Helen,  who  was  born  in 
the  year  1902. 

Julius  William  Ippel.  The  leading  dry  goods  merchant  of  Sagi- 
naw, West  Side,  twenty-five  years  ago  was  clerk  in  one  of  the  Saginaw 
business  houses  at  his  present  location.  With  his  experience  and  on  the 
strength  of  his  large  acquaintance,  he  started  in  business  for  himself 
in  1 891.  He  had  a  well  selected  but  small  stock  of  goods,  had  only  five 
assistants,  and  with  courage  and  an  exceptional  degree  of  enterprise 
started  out  to  make  a  success,  in  a  field  where  statistics  proved  that 
ninety-five  per  cent  of  those  who  engage  fail.  Mr.  Ippel  long  since 
counted  himself  as  one  of  the  successful  five  per  cent,  and  has,  along 
with  the  ability  to  manage  a  successful  mercantile  enterprise,  taken  a 
leading  place  among  the  citizens  of  his  community. 

Julius  William  Ippel  was  born  August  30,  1861,  in  West  Bend,  Wis- 
consin, a  son  of  George  and  Agnes  (  Caste)  Ippel.  His  father  was  born 
at  Bingen,  Germany,  and  Switzerland  is  the  native  place  of  his  mother. 
The  father  came  to  the  United  States  unmarried,  located  in  West  Bend, 
Wisconsin,  where  his  marriage  took  place,  and  he  was  there  engaged  in 
merchandising.  It  was  a  pioneer  period  when  he  settled  there  and  the 
Indians  were  still  troublesome.  George  Ippel  raised  a  company  from 
among  the  settlers  to  act  as  home  guards  and  protect  the  community 
from  Indian  raids.  He  was  captain  of  that  company,  and  as  a  result 
of  that  experience,  when  the  Civil  war  came  on,  he  enlisted  and  became 
first  lieutenant  of  a  Wisconsin  company,  that  joined  the  troops  under 
General  Hooker,  and  served  until  his  honorable  discharge  in  1865.  On 
returning  from  his  military  experience  he  removed  his  family  to  Sagi- 
naw, where  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade,  until  his  death  in  186S. 
His  death  was  the  direct  result  of  the  exposure  and  hardships  encoun- 
tered during  the  strenuous  days  of  the  early  sixties.  His  wife  survived 
him  a  number  of  years.  He  was  active  in  C)dd  Fellowship,  and  also  in 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Of  the  five  children  three  are  now 
deceased,  and  the  sister  of  Julius  W.  is  Anna,  wife  of  Andrew  \\'irth. 
and  their  residence  is  in  the  old  home  on  Fayette  Street,  between  Cleve- 
land and  ]\Ionroe  Streets  in  Saginaw,  West  Side. 

Julius  W.  Ippel  as  a  boy  grew  up  in  Saginaw,  where  the  family  lo- 
cated when  he  was  four  years  of  age.  His  education  was  chiefly  from 
the  grammar  and  high  schools,  and  also  from  a  business  college.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen  he  started  out  for  himself.  His  first  position  was  as  a 
minor  clerk  in  the  Bauman  Dry  Goods  Store,  which  at  that  time  was  the 
biggest  store  in  Saginaw.  Thirteen  years  with  the  Bauman  Store  gave 
him  an  experience  covering  practically  every  detail  of  the  dry  goods 
trade,  and  in  that  firm  he  had  advanced  from  a  minor  position  and  office 
work,  until  for  the  last  eight  years  he  was  manager  and  buyer  for  the 
Bauman  Store.  In  October,  1891.  Mr.  Ippel  having  left  the  Bauman 
store,  made  a  modest  start  on  his  own  account.  His  first  stock  of  goods 
was  opened  at  412  Court  Street.  The  large  acquaintance  he  had  made 
while  in  the  Bauman  employ,  quickly  found  him  out,  and  he  was  soon 
enjoying  a  large  patronage  at  his  new  location.     Several  years  later  it 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1907 

became  necessary  to  increase  his  space,  owing  to  the  expansion  of  his 
business,  and  just  across  the  street  he  leased  a  double  store,  formerly  oc- 
cupied by  the  Saginaw  Dry  Goods  &  Carpet  Company.  Those  quarters 
furnished  space  for  the  business  for  six  years,  and  in  1905  he  secured 
the  large  building  at  the  corner  of  Michigan  and  Court  Street,  and  since 
that  time  the  Ippel  Store  has  ranked  as  foremost  in  its  line  in  Saginaw, 
West  Side.  Some  forty  or  more  persons  are  employed  in  the  different 
departments.  That  number,  when  contrasted  with  the  five  employees 
who  assisted  him  at  the  beginning,  furnishes  a  graphic  contrast  as  an  esti- 
mate of  his  rapid  progress.  His  store  has  sixteen  thousand,  eight  hun- 
dred square  feet  of  floor  space,  more  than  half  of  the  first  or  ground  floor 
space  being  devoted  to  retail  trade.  Besides  the  large  dry  goods  store, 
Mr.  Ippel  operates  what  is  known  as  the  Ippels  Five  and  Ten  Stores 
Company,  a  very  successful  enterprise  of  itself.  Mr.  Ippel  is  a  man  of 
pleasing  and  genial  nature,  and  well  deserves  the  high  esteem  and  confi- 
dence paid  him  by  the  entire  community. 

Mr.  Ippel  is  a  director  of  the  Saginaw  Hotel  Company,  operating  the 
Hotel  Fordney,  built  and  financed  by  West  Side  merchants.  He  has  taken 
thirty-two  degrees  of  Scottish  Rite  Masonry,  and  is  a  member  of  St. 
Bernard  Commandery  and  Elf  Khurafeh  Shrine.  He  is  a  life  member 
of  the  Elks  and  was  twice  elected  exalted  ruler  of  his  lodge.  He  is  a 
past  chancellor  in  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  for  the  past  several  years 
has  been  president  of  the  Teutonia  Society,  an  organization  with  whose 
success  he  has  been  very  closely  identified,  and  for  which  as  president  he 
took  the  lead  in  securing  the  splendid  quarters  now  occupied  by  the 
society  in  Saginaw.  Mr.  Ippel  is  also  a  member  of  the  Arbeiter  \'erein, 
and  the  Saginaw  Canoe  Club. 

His  marriage  on  April  21,  1891,  gave  him.  as  a  wife,  Miss  Anna 
Ringler,  who  was  born  in  Saginaw,  a  daughter  of  Eugene  Ringler,  who 
is  now  ninety  years  of  age  and  lives  in  Saginaw,  on  the  West  Side.  To 
their  marriage  were  born  three  sons,  as  follows :  Eugene  William  Ippel, 
aged  twentv-one,  a  graduate  of  the  Arthur  Hill  High  School;  Julius  A., 
aged  nineteen,  also  a  graduate  of  the  Arthur  Hill  High  School,  and  both 
now  engaged  with  their  father  in  the  dry  goods  business ;  and  Arthur  G.. 
aged  seventeen,  a  student  in  the  Arthur  Hill  High  School.  Aside  from 
his  pleasant  home  at  311  South  Webster  Street,  Mr.  Ippel  owns  and  en- 
jovs  a  summer  cottage  at  Point  Lookout,  Lake  Huron,  where  he  and  his 
family  enjoy  a  large  portion  of  the  summer  season.  Mr.  Ippel  took  con- 
siderable time  in  planning  and  upbuilding  the  well  known  summer  resort 
of  Point  Lookout,  which  is  located  sixty  miles  from  Saginaw.  He  is 
one  of  a  company  that  bought  a  tract  of  land  on  the  point,  and  induced 
many  of  his  friends  to  build  cottages,  the  colony  being  now  very  suc- 
cessful. 

Austin  Frederick  Burdick,  A.  B.,  M.  D.  The  medical  jirofession 
of  ^Michigan  is  worthily  and  capably  represented  at  Landing  by  Dr._/\ustin 
Frederick  Burdick,  whose  comprehensive  training,  inherent  ability  and 
high  achievements  have  placed  him  in  a  foremost  position  among  the 
men  of  his  honored  calling  in  this  state.  Doctor  Burdick  is  a  native 
son  of  Lansing,  born  March  23,  1878,  and  is  descended  from  two  Michi- 
gan pioneer  families.  His  father,  Ichabod  Burdick,  was  born  at  Allen's 
Prairie,  Michigan,  November  15,  1833,  a  son  of  Aml^rose  S.  Burdick,  a 
native  of  New  York  state,  born  February  0,  1807.  The  grandfather  came 
to  Michigan  during  pioneer  days,  taking  up  government  land,  but  in 
later  Hfe" removed  to  Lansing.  His  wife,  Margaret  G.,  whom  he  mar- 
ried in  New  York,  was  born  in  the  Empire  state.  December  19,  1808. 
The  mother  of  Doctor  Burdick  bore  the  maiden  name  of  ^Mary  Yeiter, 


1908  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

and  was  bom  in  Ohio,  February  17,  1840,  a  daughter  of  Frederick  and 
Elizabeth  (Brock)  Yeiter,  natives  of  Germany,  the  former  born  July  i, 
181 1,  and  the  latter  May  5,  1817.  They  were  married  in  the  United  States, 
were  early  settlers  of  Ohio,  and  came  to  Lansing  in  about  the  year  1850. 
The  parents  of  Doctor  Burdick  were  married  at  Lansing,  ^larch  26,  1857, 
and  seven  years  ago  celebrated  their  fiftieth,  or  Golden,  anniversary,  and 
both  are  still  living  and  enjoying  the  best  of  physical  health  and  unim- 
paired mental  faculties.  The  father  learned  the  furniture  maker's  trade 
in  his  youth,  and  was  engaged  at  this  occupation  until  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War,  at  which  time  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Twentieth  Regiment, 
Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  saw  some  very  active  service  and 
at  one  time  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  enemy  and  confined  for  five  months 
in  Salsbury  Prison.  At  the  close  of  hostilities  ]\Ir.  Burdick  returned  to 
the  peaceful  pursuits  of  his  trade,  was  very  successful  in  his  business  ven- 
tures, and  of  late  years  has  concentrated  his  energies  upon  looking  after 
his  property  interests. 

Dr.  Austin  F.  Burdick  secured  his  early  education  in  the  Lansing 
public  schools,  and  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  here  in  1896. 
He  was  president  of  his  class  in  both  sophomore  and  senior  years,  and 
in  his  junior  year  was  chairman  of  the  Junior  Exhibition  Committee, 
which  committee  was  the  founder  o{  the  plan  to  hold  the  junier  exhi- 
bition in  the  opera  house,  and  which  has  since  become  an  annual  event 
of  much  importance  to  the  students  and  interest  to  the  general  pub- 
lic. After  leaving  high  school  Doctor  Burdick  spent  one  year  in 
the  drug  store  of  his  brother-in-law,  Dr.  Turner,  at  Webberville,  Michi- 
gan, but  in  1897  resumed  his  studies  as  a  student  in  the  University  of 
Michigan,  taking  the  full  course  of  six  years  in  one  year  less  than  that 
time,  and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1901,  receiving  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  was  graduated  from  the  medical  department  of 
the  same  school  with  the  class  of  1902,  receiving  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Medicine,  and  at  once  entered  practice  at  Webberville.  there  spend- 
ing one  year.  Following  this  he  was  located  at  Perry,  Michigan,  for 
three  months,  and  next  went  to  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  a  special  practice  in  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  imtil 
May,  1912,  when  he  returned  to  his  old  home  at  Lansing.  Here  he  has 
firmly  established  himself  in  his  profession  as  a  specialist.  Doctor  Bur- 
dick has  never  ceased  to  be  a  close  and  assiduous  student.  He  has  taken 
post-graduate  work  at  the  New  York  City  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary,  at 
the  Chicago  Polyclinic,  at  the  Royal  London  Ophthalmic  Hospital  and  at 
the  Central  London  Nose  and  Throat  Hospital,  London,  England.  At 
this  writing  (June  20,  1914),  he  is  preparing  to  attend  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  American  Medical  Association,  at  Atlantic  City,  New  Jersey,  fol- 
lowing which  he  will  go  abroad  to  London,  England,  to  pass  the  balance 
of  the  summer  at  the  two  institutions  above  named.  It  is  his  intention 
also  to  attend  the  clinical  congress  of  North  American  Surgeons,  to  be 
held  in  London. 

Doctor  Burdick  is  a  member  of  the  Ingham  County  ^ledical  Society, 
the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion. His  fraternal  connections  include  membership  in  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  On  June  10,  1903,  Doctor  Burdick  married  Jessie 
Stabler,  who  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Michigan,  daughter  of  Charles 
and  Carrie  (Goodrich)  Stabler,  and  they  have  two  children:  Arlene 
Adell  and  Elgeva  June,  aged  respectively,  nine  and  four  years. 

H.\MiLTnN  Watson.  Outside  of  the  largest  cities,  there  exist  few 
exclusive  china  and  glassware  estaljlishments.  This  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  "Oueensware"  is  one  of  the  most  available  stocks  to  be  included  in 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1909 

a  department  store,  and  china  and  glass  dealers  everywhere  have  to  con- 
tend against  the  keen  competition  of  these  general  stores.  For  this 
reason,  where  a  successful  individual  business  of  this  kind  is  found,  its 
very  existence  and  prosperity  are  a  splendid  tribute  to  the  energy  and 
commercial  judgment  of  its  proprietor. 

One  such  concern,  and  one  of  the  largest  in  Michigan,  is  the  H. 
Watson  &  Company,  wholesale  and  retail  dealers  in  china  and  glassware, 
at  Saginaw.  The  president  is  Hamilton  \\'atson,  who  has  been  identified 
with  this  line  of  trade  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  The  com- 
pany is  the  largest  importers  and  dealers  in  the  state.  The  companv 
was  incorporated  under  its  present  form  in  1904.  In  their  storerooms 
at  Saginaw  more  than  twelve  thousand  square  feet  are  devoted  to  the 
stock,  and  show  rooms,  besides  large  warehouses,  for  the  surplus  and 
wholesale  goods.  Steady  employment  is  afforded  to  fifteen  or  more  peo- 
ple, and,  as  already  stated,  it  is  the  only  exclusive  china  and  glass  retail 
store  in  Saginaw. 

Mr.  Watson  was  bom  in  Port  Huron.  Alichigan.  ]\Iay  24,  1856,  a 
son  of  George  and  Ann  (Coleman)  Watson,  both  parents  natives  of  Ire- 
land, who  came  to  Michigan  when  children  with  their  respective  parents, 
and  settled  in  the  Saginaw  \'alley  during  the  decade  of  the  fifties,  when 
all  this  section  of  Michigan  was  new  and  wild,  and  where  the  father 
as  a  farmer  endured  all  the  hardships  of  pioneering.  There  were  four 
children,  of  whom  Hamilton  was  the  oldest,  the  others  being:  George 
and  James,  both  prominent  farmers  of  Saginaw  county,  and  Thomas 
Watson,  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  \\'atson  Company. 

Hamilton  Watson  attended  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  Sagi- 
naw. When  sixteen  years  of  age  the  firm  of  Aiken  &  Company,  prede- 
cessors of  the  present  house  of  H.  Watson  &  Companv.  took  him  in  as 
clerk  in  their  establishment.  In  that  house  he  had  the  rigid  training 
which  fitted  him  for  the  larger  responsibilities  of  independent  business 
management,  and  he  continued  as  one  of  the  trusted  assistants  of  Aiken 
&•  Company  until  1878.  The  business  afterwards  was  reorganized  and 
became  known  as  Daudt.  Watson  &  Company.  Air.  Watson  having  bought 
an  equal  interest  in  the  house.  This  firm  continued  its  successful  career 
until  the  last  change  was  made  in  1904.  when  Mr.  Daudt  sold  his  interest 
to  the  Watson  brothers.  The  retail  establishment  is  located  at  420-422 
Genesee  Street.  That  store  would  be  a  credit  to  any  city  in  the  country, 
and  is  one  of  the  distinctive  landmarks  of  the  shopping  district  of 
Saginaw. 

Mr.  Watson  is  a  Democrat,  is  affiliated  with  Alasonic  circles,  and  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  has  long  taken  an  active  part  in  the  Presbyterian 
church  of  \\'arren  Avenue,  his  wife  being  also  a  member  of  the  denomi- 
nation. In  1892  ^Ir.  ^^'atson  married  Aliss  Aha  Trowbridge,  who  was 
born  in  New  York  State,  a  daughter  of  Mortimer  Trowbridge.  Mr.  and 
Airs.  Watson  take  a  prominent  part  in  the  social  life  of  Saginaw.  Airs. 
Watson,  who  is  of  English  ancestry,  traces  her  genealogy  back  to  the 
sixteenth  century.  She  is  one  of  the  ctiltured  women  of  Saginaw,  and 
takes  an  active  part  in  its  social  and  intellectual  life. 

Frank  Foster  Rogers,  one  of  the  leading  civil-engineers  of  Michigan 
and  the  present  state  highway  commissioner,  is  widely  known  in  the  ranks 
of  his  calling,  but  has  been  particularly  brought  into  public  favor  by  his 
fine  W'ork  in  connection  with  the  organization  and  development  of  the 
highway  department  of  the  state.  Air.  Rogers  is  a  native  of  Alichigan  and 
is  descended  from  one  of  the  pioneer  families  which  was  found  here  in 
the  territorial  davs.  This  branch  of  the  Rogers  family  runs  directly  back 
to  the  Alavflower,  on  which  historic  vessel  came  Thomas  Rogers,  who 


1910  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

was  the  immigrant  by  this  name,  who  settled  in  the  ^Massachusetts  colony. 
The  great-grandfather  of  Frank  F.  Rogers  was  Elkaney  Rogers,  of  the 
fifth  generation  from  the  original  ancestor,  and  his  son,  Obediah  Rogers, 
a  native  of  Massachusetts,  brought  the  family  to  Michigan  in  1832,  five 
years  before  Michigan  was  admitted  to  the  Union  as  a  state.  The  grand- 
father took  up  government  land,  paying  a  dollar  and  a  (|uarter  an  acre, 
and  this  farm,  which  is  still  in  the  family,  is  now  located  in  Raisin  town- 
ship, Lenawee  county.  Samuel  R.  Rogers,  the  father  of  Frank  Foster 
Rogers,  was  boni  in  Massachusetts  in  1830,  and  was  in  his  second  year 
when  brought  to  Michigan.  .Succeeding  to  the  farm  of  which  his  father 
had  been  the  purchaser,  his  life  was  passed  in  the  pursuits  of  agriculture, 
and  his  death  occurred  after  a  long,  successful  and  honorable  career,  in 
1898.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Charlotte  Foster,  who  was  born  in 
New  York,  and  she  died. in  1864.  One  of  her  brothers  went  from  New 
York  to  Kansas  at  an  early  day,  there  became  a  prominent  lawyer,  and 
finally  was  appointed  by  President  Grant  as  United  States  district  judge. 

Frank  Foster  Rogers  was  born  on  the  old  family  homestead  in 
Lenawee  county,  Michigan,  August  30,  1858.  Reared  on  the  home  farm, 
his  education  was  secured  in  the  district  schools  and  the  Raisin  \'alley 
Seminary,  following  which  he  became  a  student  in  the  Michigan  •■\gri- 
cultural  College,  from  which  institution  he  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Science  in  1883  and  later  that  of  Civil  Engineer.  In  the  year  of  his 
graduation  he  located  at  Marlette,  Sanilac  county,  and  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  subsequently  ser\-ing  two  years  in  the  office 
of  county  surveyor.  His  reputation  having  extended  beyond  the  limits 
of  that  community,  in  i8c>o  ^Ir.  Rogers  went  to  Port  Huron  and  in  the 
following  year  was  appointed  city  engineer  of  that  city,  an  office  which 
he  held  for  eight  consecutive  years  or  until  his  private  practice  had 
reached  such  proportions  that  he  was  compelled  to  give  all  his  time  and 
attention  to  it.  This  occupied  his  energies  during  the  following  six  years, 
and  at  the  end  of  that  time,  with  the  creation  of  the  department  of  state 
highways  in  IQ05,  he  was  appointed  deputy  commissioner  and  assisted  in 
organizing  the  department.  Mr.  Rogers  continued  as  deputy  until  1913. 
in  which  year  he  was  elected  commissioner  of  the  department  for  a  term 
of  four  years.  He  has  been  a  potent  force  in  the  development  of  the 
department  from  its  inception,  when  its  force  embodied  the  commissioner, 
deputy  and  stenographer,  to  the  present,  when  forty  employes,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  commissioners  and  deputies,  are  necessary  to  manage  its 
afifairs.  During  his  administration  of  one  year  the  department  has  grown 
in  usefulness  and  importance  until  it  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  effi- 
cient branches  of  the  state  government.  Mr.  Rogers  is  a  member  and  a 
former  president  of  the  Michigan  Engineering  Society  and  of  the  Amer- 
ican Road  Builders  Association.  His  fraternal  connections  are  with  the 
Mas(^ns,  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  the  Woodmen,  and  in  his 
political  views  he  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Rogers  married  Miss  Ada  Lee,  of  Marlette,  Michigan,  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  S.  P.  Lee,  a  Methodist  minister,  and  they  have  the  following 
four  children :  iVtabel,  who  was  graduated  from  the  Michigan  Agricul- 
tural College,  class  of  1910,  and  is  now  a  teacher  of  domestic  science  at 
Alma :  Clara,  who  graduated  from  the  same  institution  in  the  class  of 
1914,  and  is  now  teaching  at  Owosso,  Michigan;  Fannie,  who  graduated 
from  the  Lansing  high  school,  class  of  1914,  and  is  now  attending  the 
Michigan  Agricultural  College;  and  Frederick,  who  is  attending  the  Lans- 
ing high  school. 

Albert  FR.\^'CIS  Cosend.m.  The  Cosendai  Dye  Works,  established 
at  Saginaw  in  1877,  is  both  the  oldest  and  largest  establishment  of  the 


<sll^. 


'^^Hr  I 


€^'Z^c^^^ 


'^^^^ 


€yCt^^~^.^^ 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1911 

kind  in  the  Saginaw  \'alley.  The  prosperity  of  this  concern  is  based 
upon  "good  service," — abihty  to  do  good  work  having  been  the  primary 
capital  with  which  the  business  was  launched  a  generation  ago,  and  the 
same  quality  having  run  like  a  strong  thread  through  all  the  subsequent 
career  of  the  institution,  giving  it  both  continuitv  and  prosperity. 

Albert  Francis  Cosendai,  who  succeeded  his  father,  now  deceased,  in 
the  management  of  this  concern,  was  born  in  Saginaw  August  4,  1880, 
the  son  of  John  Francis  and  Emma  Cosendai.  The  parents  were  both 
natives  of  Switzerland,  and  the  father  came  to  Saginaw  in  1875.  At  that 
time  his  entire  possession  comprised  no  cash  capital,  but  only  a  thorough 
knowledge  and  proficiency  in  the  dyeing  trade,  a  business  he  had  learned 
m  all  its  details  in  his  native  land.  He  was  an  expert,  so  much  so,  that 
he  might  be  called  an  artist,  and  was  certainly  an  authority  in  all  the 
departments  of  dyeing.  In  a  little  room,  a  portion  of  his  dwelling,  in  a 
very  modest  way,  he  began  plying  his  industry,  doing  all  his  work  alone 
at  first,  and  gradually  established  himself  in  a  very  successful  manner. 
In  later  years  he  built  a  modern  factory  and  dye  plant,  and  at  his  death 
left  a  large  and  prosperous  business  concern,  the  good  will  of  which 
alone  was  worth  a  considerable  sum.  The  death  of  the  senior  Cosendai 
was  the  result  of  an  explosion  in  the  dye  works.  At  that  time  he  had 
in  his  employ  twenty  or  more  people,  that  number  representing  the  ex- 
pansion of  the  business  since  he  started  alone  in  a  small  shop. 

Albert  F.  Cosendai,  after  getting  a  good  schooling,  entered  his  father's 
employ,  and  learned  the  art  of  dyeing  in  every  phase.  Since  his  father's 
death  he  has  assumed  command  of  the  splendid  establishment,  and  has 
enlarged  it  and  expanded  its  activities  in  various  ways.  His  progressive 
ideas  have  enabled  him  to  establish  branch  houses  in  many  of  the  more 
prominent  centers  of  northeastern  Michigan,  and  these  all  contribute 
to  the  prosperity  of  the  Central  concern.  At  the  present  time  more  than 
sixty  people  find  steady  and  remunerative  employment  in  the  works. 

Mr.  Cosendai  is  an  Independent  in  politics,  and  is  strictly  a  home 
man,  his  only  social  and  fraternal  relations  being  with  the  Masonic  Or- 
der, in  which  he  has  taken  a  Knight  Templar  and  Shriner  degree. 

Louis  J.  Pelletier,  M.  D.  In  composing  a  brief  sketch  of  the  career 
of  one  who  has  impressed  himself  by  his  gifts  and  talents  upon  the 
passing  generation,  one  is  pleased  to  find  the  all  too  rare  union  of  high 
philanthropic  ends  with  such  practical  qualities  as  have  made  him  a 
successful  practitioner  of  medicine  and  surgery.  However  rare  may  be 
such  a  combination  of  qualities,  that  they  are  not  altogether  incompatible 
is  illustrated  in  the  life  of  Dr.  Louis  J.  Pelletier,  of  Ludington.  As  a 
resident  of  this  city  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  he  has  been 
devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  his  beloved  calling,  in  which  he  has 
not  alone  attained  distinction  as  a  man  of  Inroad  learning  and  high 
attainments,  but  as  a  sympathizer  with  the  poor  and  unfortunate,  whose 
friend  he  has  ever  been. 

Doctor  Pelletier  was  born  in  Canada,  May  19,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  Baptiste  and  Adele  Gagnon  Pelletier.  The  father,  born  in  Province  • 
of  Quebec  in  1831,  there  engaged  in  farming,  becoming  through  his 
energy,  thrift  and  perseverance  the  owner  of  a  large  and  valuable  prop- 
erty. He  died  in  1909,  in  the  faith  of  the  Catholic  church,  of  which  he 
and  Mrs.  Pelletier  were  lifelong  members.  Mr.  Pelletier  was  a  con- 
servative in  politics.  Of  his  eight  children,  Louis  J.  was  the  third  in 
order  of  birth. 

Louis  J.  Pelletier  attended  a  classical  college  at  Rimouski  for  ten 
years,  and  was  graduated  therefrom  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Arts,    following   which    he    entered    Laval    University,    Canada,    and    in 


1912  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

1888  received  his  medical  degree.  He  began  practice  at  Ludington  in 
1889,  and  this  has  continued  to  be  the  scene  of  his  labors  and  successes, 
his  large  practice  being  confined  principally  to  this  city.  He  has  never 
ceased  being  a  student,  for  each  two  or  three  years  he  has  taken  a  post- 
graduate course,  and  at  various  times  has  attended  colleges  in  London, 
Paris,  Xew  York,  Chicago  and  A'ienna,  and  whenever  he  can  find  the 
spare  time  he  devotes  it  to  study,  research  and  investigation.  Doctor 
Pelletier  is  widely  known  for  his  work  among  the  poor,  to  whom  he 
gives  his  services  freely.  It  is  his  belief  that  the  medical  profession  is 
for  mankind  and  that  its  greatest  problem  is  to  secure  honest  and 
faithful  performance  of  professional  obligation ;  also  that  physicians  are 
a  body  of  organized  men  laboring  for  the  good  of  humanity.  He  has 
not  merely  stated  these  as  his  opinions,  but  has  practically  gone  forth  to 
illustrate  that  he  believes  in  them  and  is  willing  to  prove  his  assertions 
practically. 

Doctor  Pelletier  was  married  in  1893  to  ]\Irs.  Dr.  Shortz.  widow  of 
a  former  prominent  physician  of  Ludington,  who  assists  him  greatly  in 
his  medical,  as  well  as  his  philanthropical  work.  They  are  consistent 
members  of  the  Catholic  church,  and  aside  from  the  organizations  of 
his  profession.  Doctor  Pelletier  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 
He  is  a  Republican,  but  has  found  no  time  to  engage  in  politics,  pre- 
ferring to  devote  his  entire  attention  to  his  calling. 

\\'n.Li.\M  John  !McCrox.  Proprietor  of  the  Saginaw  Publishing  and 
Printing  Company,  !Mr.  [NlcCron  has  had  forty  years'  active  experience  in 
the  printing  and  publishing  business,  began  his  apprenticeship  when  a 
boy  in  London.  Ontario,  was  an  expert  at  the  trade  of  printer  in  the  old 
days  before  the  introduction  of  such  modern  machinery  as  linotypes, 
duplex  presses  and  other  facilities,  and  has  succeeded  because  he  has 
never  stood  still,  has  always  been  ready  to  adopt  modern  devices  and 
adapt  himself  to  them,  and  by  careful  management  and  shrewd  control 
of  his  resources,  has  acquired  the  sole  ownership  of  a  business  hardly 
second  to  any  of  its  kind  in  northeast  ^Michigan. 

William  John  jMcCron  was  born  in  Ontario  county,  Ontario,  March 
24,  1856,  a  son  of  John  and  Lydia  (Grant)  McCron.  Both  parents  were 
natives  of  Scotland.  The  father  came  to  Ontario  when  a  young  unmar- 
ried man,  and  having  been  thoroughly  trained  to  the  trade  of  machinist, 
secured  the  position  of  master  mechanic  with  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad. 
That  was  his  position  for  a  period  of  thirty  years,  during  which  time  his 
home  was  in  London,  and  he  still  resides  in  that  city  surrounded  by  man}- 
friends  and  enjoying  the  comforts  of  a  long  and  prosperous  career,  benig 
now  ninety  years  of  age.  His  wife  is  deceased.  The  elder  McCron, 
during  his  early  life  in  Scotland,  was  active  in  the  Liberal  party,  and  now 
takes  an  active  part  in  the  Reform  party  of  Ontario.  There  were  ten 
children,  and  William  J.  was  the  third. 

Educated  in  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  London,  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  he  entered  a  printing  shop  and  began  learning  the  trade.  His 
•  employment  for  a  number  of  years  was  in  the  office  of  the  London  Ad- 
vcrtiscr.  and  for  a  total  period  of  twenty  years  he  was  connected  with 
that  firm,  for  nine  years  holding  the  position  of  assistant  manager.  Mr. 
]McCron  came  to  Saginaw  in  1891  to  accept  the  place  of  manager  for  the 
Saginaw  Printing  and  Publishing  Company.  He  was  elected  trea.surer 
of  the  company,  and  continued  in  that  office  during  the  life  of  the  com- 
pany. At  the  beginning  there  were  twenty-two  stockholders  in  the  con- 
cern, but  all  of  tliese  have  since  sold  their  stock  to  Mr.  McCron,  who 
is  now  sole  proprietor  of  the  flourishing  business.  During  his  early  years 
in  connection  with  the  Saginaw  Company,  Mr.  McCron  had  only  four 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1913 

workmen  under  his  supervision,  but  under  his  energetic  administration. 
the  business  has  increased  many  fold,  and  he  now  employs  eighteen  or 
more  persons  about  the  various  departments  of  the  business.  The  plant 
occupies  forty -five  hundred  feet  of  floor  space,  and  the  establishment  is 
equipped  with  the  latest  machinery  for  rapid  and  efficient  press  work. 
with  a  large  and  varied  assortment  of  material  for  the  job  work,  and  lino- 
types also  take  care  of  a  large  mass  of  general  composition.  The  busi- 
ness is  largely  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of  blank  books,  linotype  com- 
position, general  book  publishing  and  job  printing  of  the  finer  kind. 

jMr.  McCron  is  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  Washington  .\venue  Pres- 
byterian church  of  Saginaw,  being  choir  leader  and  an  elder  in  the  church. 
He  is  a  prominent  Mason,  belongs  to  the  Consistory,  has  taken  thirty- 
two  degrees,  and  also  to  the  Shrine.  His  other  fraternal  affiliations  are 
with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  is  also  prominent 
in  the  St.  Andrew  Scottish  Society,  having  served  as  president  during 
1893-97.  Mr.  McCron  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  often  taken 
an  active  part  in  campaigns,  as  member  of  committees,  and  a  vigorous 
party  worker.    His  pleasant  home  is  located  at  602  South  \\'arren  Street. 

Reuben  Goodrich.  The  Goodrich  family  was  founded  in  ^Michigan 
in  the  year  preceding  the  admission  of  the  State  to  the  Union,  and  in  the 
first  and  all  succeeding  generations  in  this  commonwealth  those  who  have 
borne  the  name  have  stood  exponent  of  the  best  in  character  and  achieve- 
ment. Members  of  this  old  and  honored  family  have  played  a  large  part 
in  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  the  Wolverine  State,  and  in  earlier 
generations  the  same  fine  spirit  was  exemplified  in  older  settled  sections 
of  our  great  repulilic.  for  the  family  name  has  been  identified  with  the 
annals  of  American  history  since  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
Hon.  Reuben  Goodrich  was  a  man  who  left  a  benignant  and  enduring  im- 
pression upon  the  history  of  Michigan,  and  consistency  demands  that  in 
this  publication  be  entered  a  brief  tribute  to  his  memory  and  a  review  of 
his  career,  the  following  record  being  gained  largely  from  an  appreciative 
newspaper  article  that  was  published  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  at  his  home,  on  Elmwood  avenue,  in  Traverse  City,  on  Sunday 
afternoon,  January  8.  1899.  when  he  was  in  his  eightieth  year.  From  an 
excellent  genealogical  record  of  the  Goodrich  family,  prepared  by  S.  V. 
Talcott,  it  is  shown  that  the  lineage  traces  back  in  America  to  John  and 
Ensign  William  Goodrich,  brothers  who  came  from  Bury  .St.  Edmond's, 
England,  and  who.  it  is  supposed,  first  settled  at  ^^'atertown.  Massa- 
chusetts, whence  removal  was  made  to  Wethersfield.  Connecticut,  where 
John  held  lands  in  1644  and  Will  held  lands  in  1666,  as  shown  in  the 
archives  of  that  State.  There  is  a  tradition  that  John  and  William  were 
orphans  and  came  to  this  country  with  their  mother's  brother.  W'illiam 
Stillman.  this  tradition  also  predicating  that  they  settled  first  in  the  New 
Haven  colony.  Within  the  limitations  of  a  sketch  of  this  order  it  is,  of 
course,  impossible  to  enter  data  concerning  the  various  generations  of 
the  family,  but  there  are  salient  points  that  must  be  touched  u|)on  in 
noting  the  family  association  with  Michigan  history. 

Reuben  Goodrich  was  born  in  Clarence,  Erie  coimty.  New  York,  on 
the  28th  of  June,  1819.  He  came  of  New  England  lineage,  his  English 
ancestors  having  settled  in  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  prior  to  1650. 
In  England  the  authentic  records  of  the  family  extend  back  for  nearly 
900  years,  man_v  members  of  the  family  having  been  prominent  in  English 
history.  Goodrich  Castle,  the  old  feudal  home  of  the  Goodrich  race,  still 
exists,  though  but  a  gray  and  ancient  ruin,  in  the  county  of  Ilereford, 
near  the  border  of  Wales.  Its  origin  may  be  traced  to  the  times  of  the 
Norman  conquest,  when  the   Saxon  Goodriches  were  a  numerous  and 


lyu  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

influential  family  who,  loyal  to  England  and  England's  king,  fought  long 
and  bravelv  for  a  hopeless  cause  and  who,  when  the  Norman  conquest 
was  effected,  suft'ered  forfeiture  and  confiscation  of  lands  and  home.  As 
for  Castle  Goodrich  itself,  it  is  authentically  told  that  in  1204  it  was  given 
by  King  John  to  William  Earl  Marshall  to  hold,  and  for  the  next  400 
years  was  held  by  a  long  line  of  nobility.  In  the  civil  war  between 
Charles  I  and  parliament,  in  1642,  its  possession  was  hotly  contested  by 
rival  factions,  and  in  1647  '^  was  ordered  that  "Goodrich  Castle  be  totally 
disgarrisoned  and  abandoned,"  which  order  was  executed,  and  the  castle 
left  in  ruins,  as  they  now  appear,  unchanged  save  through  the  ravages  of 
time  and  decay. 

In  1802  the  father  of  Reuben  Goodrich  married  and  settled  in  what 
was  then  the  western  wilderness  of  central  New  York,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Genesee  county,  that  State.  In  1835  his  father  and  brothers 
jnirchased  a  tract  of  more  than  1,100  acres  of  land  in  Genesee  county, 
Michigan,  and  as  pioneers  they  established  their  homes  in  the  untram- 
meled  wilderness  of  a  territory  that  was  soon  thereafter  to  attain  to 
the  dignity  of  Statehood.  The  early  development  of  Genesee  county 
owed  much  to  this  family  of  six  stalwart  sons,  and  the  New  England 
father  and  mother  endured  all  the  hardships  of  the  pioneer  life  of  those 
early  days.  In  1845  Reuben  and  his  elder  brother,  Enos,  founded  the 
village  of  Goodrich  and  built  up  a  large  mercantile  and  milling  business. 
The  name  of  the  Goodrich  Brothers  was  known  throughout  all  that  sec- 
tion of  the  country  and  their  efforts  had  much  to  do  with  shaping  its 
whole  future.  In  an  historical  sketch  written  by  Enos  Goodrich  and  read 
at  the  family  reunion  held  in  May,  1886,  are  found  many  interesting  data, 
and  from  the  article  are  taken  the  following  statements,  with  but  slight 
paraphrase :  "I  will  point  to  the  general  fact  that  the  natural  home  of  the 
Goodrichs  is  on  the  farm.  Generally  they  have  not  shrunk  from  labor, 
however  arduous.  One  peculiarity  of  the  family,  wherever  found,  is 
that  they  are  home-makers.  Rarely  if  ever  was  a  descendant  of  Levi  H. 
Goodrich  known  to  live  even  for  a  single  day  in  a  rented  house.  Turn 
one  of  them  loose  in  the  deepest  recesses  of  the  wilderness,  come  back 
in  three  vears,  and  what  do  you  iind?  No  ruined  and  deserted  cabin, 
with  rough  boards  over  the  shattered  windows  and  with  pathways  choked 
with  weeds  higher  than  the  door  caps,  but  a  home  surrounded  with  the 
comforts  of  life.  Their  larders  and  cellars  and  granaries  are  stored  with 
the  necessities  and  comforts  of  life;  their  cattle  are  grazing  in  the  val- 
leys; and  their  harvest  fields  are  waving  on  the  hillsides.  'Home,  sweet 
home'  is  a  sentiment  which  they  appreciate  for  themselves  and  transmit 
to  their  offspring.  It  is  not  strange  that  their  isolated  position,  their  self- 
reliance  and  their  communion  with  nature  begot  an  original  way  of  think- 
ing and  an  independence  of  spirit  which  so  emphatically  constitutes  and 
dignifies  the  man.  *  *  *  Some  of  us  have  digressed  from  the  pur- 
suits of  the  farm  long  enough  to  build  and  operate  mills  and  to  take  a 
hand  in  the  affairs  of  the  political  world.  One  flouring  mill  and  five  saw 
mills  have  owed  their  existence  to  the  efforts  of  my  brother  Reuben  and 
myself.  In  remembering  these  enterprises  we  have  this  consolation  to- 
dav, — that  if  they  have  not  made  us  very  rich  they  have  materially  as- 
sisted in  the  upbuilding  and  improvement  of  the  country.  *  *  * 
Time  rolled  on,  the  country  grew  ;  slowly  but  steadily  did  the  wilderness 
become  a  fruitful  field,  and  the  earth,  in  response  to  the  pioneers'  toil, 
began  to  give  up  her  treasures  with  a  bounteous  hand.  Long  before  the 
era  of  railroad  construction  in  our  section  of  Michigan  Reuben  and  I 
had  combined  our  limited  means,  our  energies  and  our  credits,  and  had 
built  the  Goodrich  flouring  mill.  Reuben  was  the  youngest  of  the  six 
brothers  and  was  thus  about  seventeen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1915 

family  removal  to  the  Territory  of  Michigan.  Our  milling  enterprise 
was  a  gigantic  undertaking  for  two  such  chaps  as  Reuben  and  mvself, 
and  nothing  but  the  rashness  of  youth  could  have  tolerated  such  a  scheme. 
How  we  toiled  in  mill  and  store,  on  farm  and  in  workshop.  I  have  not 
time  to  tell.  How  we  managed  to  establish  a  credit  which  was  'A  Xo.  i' 
from  Detroit  to  New  York  and  Boston,  is  a  problem  which  I  can  not 
solve  today.  But  when  upon  our  books  were  found  the  names  of  thou- 
sands of  customers  whose  wants  we  were  making  superhuman  efforts  to 
supply,  there  came  an  evil  day,  a  day  never  to  be  forgotten  in  the  com- 
mercial history  of  our  country.  It  was  the  crisis  of  1857.  Strong  men 
bowed  before  the  storm  and  old  established  houses  crumbled  before  its 
breath.  The  earnings  of  twenty  years  of  such  toil  of  body  and  mind  as 
no  man  can  duplicate  in  a  lifetime,  were  ruthlessly  and  irretrievably 
swept  away.  It  was  thus  that  the  firm  of  E.  (S:  R.  Goodrich  was  dis- 
solved, and  consigned  Reuben  to  Grand  Traverse  and  me  to  the  wilds  of 
Tuscola  county." 

In  1845  Enos  and  Reuben  Goodrich  founded  the  village  of  Goodrich, 
Genesee  county,  as  previously  stated,  and  they  were  the  most  influential 
citizens  and  business  men  of  the  town  up  to  the  time  of  the  financial  panic 
mentioned.  In  1854  Reuben  Goodrich  was  elected  a  member  of  the  State 
senate,  in  which  he  served,  with  marked  efficiency,  for  two  years,  as  con- 
temporary of  such  well  known  citizens  as  Austin  Blair,  George  Jerome 
and  O.  D.  Conger.  The  next  two  years  he  represented  the  First  district 
of  Genesee  county  in  the  house  of  representatives,  incidentally  taking  an 
active  part  in  electing  Zachariah  Chandler  to  his  first  term  in  the  United 
States  senate.  In  public  affairs  Mr.  Goodrich  exercised  the  same  energy 
and  discrimination  that  characterized  his  supervision  of  his  own  affairs. 
In  those  early  days  he  had  a  great  share  in  the  battle  over  the  disposal 
of  the  State  swamp  lands  and  aided  largelv  in  winning  the  victory  for 
the  new  counties,  as  against  the  older  settled  counties  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  State.  In  the  organization  of  new  townships,  the  establish- 
ment of  State  roads,  the  disposal  of  the  great  grants  of  land  which  Con- 
gress had  made  to  the  State  for  railroad  purposes,  Mr.  Goodrich  was 
always  on  the  side  of  the  frontier  settlers. 

For  twelve  years  Mr.  Goodrich  held  the  office  of  postmaster  at  Good- 
rich, besides  being  called  to  manv  local  offices  of  public  trust.  In  i860 
he  removed  with  his  familv  to  Traverse  City,  and  the  following  year  he 
was  appointed,  by  President  Lincoln,  receiver  of  the  United  States  land 
office,  but  later  was  removed  bv  President  Johnson,  for  political  reasons. 
Later  he  was  reappointed,  bv  President  Grant,  and  he  served  in  this 
office  for  a  total  of  nine  years.  He  was  one  of  the  three  members  of 
the  State  highway  commission  selected  by  the  governor  to  prepare  an 
amendment  to  the  ^lichigan  State  constitution  pro\'iding  for  a  county 
road  system,  this  amendment  being  adopted  by  the  State  legislature  and 
also  by  popular  vote  at  the  State  election  in  189.V  For  twenty-three  years 
Mr.  Goodrich  was  highwav  commissioner  of  the  township  of  Traverse; 
he  served  long  and  effectively  as  a  member  of  the  school  board  and  was 
continuously  retained  as  a  member  of  the  village  council  of  Traverse 
City,  as  was  he  of  the  council  after  the  incorporation  as  a  city.  In  the 
later  years  of  his  life  he  gave  his  attention  largely  to  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness and  lumbering,  and  he  platted  several  additions  to  Traverse  City. 
-Advancing  vears  did  not  seem  to  dull  his  business  capacities,  and  he  was 
active  in  the  supervision  of  his  multitudinous  aff'airs  until  his  final  illness, 
which  was  of  about  four  weeks'  duration.  The  entire  community  mani- 
fested a  deep  sense  of  personal  loss  and  bereavement  when  this  noble 
and  venerable  citizen  passed  from  the  stage  of  life's  mortal  endeavors. 


1916  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

and  he  left  to  the  world  the  priceless  heritage  of  a  good  name  as  well  as 
a  record  of  worthy  achievement  and  kindly  deeds. 

On  New  Year's  day  of  the  year  1857  was  solemnized  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Goodrich  to  Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Eastman,  who  likewise  represented 
fine  old  New  England  stock  and  who  proved  his  devoted  companion  and 
helpmeet  for  nearly  half  a  century,  the  gracious  bonds  being  severed  only 
when  the  husband  had  been  called  to  the  life  eternal.  Of  this  union  were 
born  four  children,  two  of  whom  are  living,  the  loving  mother  having 
continued  to  reside  in  Traverse  City  until  her  death.  The  survi\ing  chil- 
dren are:  Clara  E.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Charles  B.  Atwood,  a  prominent 
insurance  man  of  Los  Angeles,  California;  and  Frank  R.,  who  resides 
in  Traverse  City,  and  who  is  individually  mentioned  on  other  pages  of 
this  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  B.  Atwood  liave  two  children, — Clar- 
ence, who  was  graduated  in  Leland  Stanford,  Jr.,  University  and  also 
in  the  law  school  of  Yale  University,  he  being  now  a  representative  mem- 
ber of  the  bar  of  San  Francisco,  California ;  and  Mary  Emily,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Earl  Josef  Brank,  an  architect  by  profession  and  a  resident  of 
Monrovia,  California.  Mary  E.  Goodrich,  younger  daughter  of  Reuben 
and  Elizabeth  J.  Goodrich,  was  for  many  years  an  attache  of  the  otifice 
of  the  auditor  general  of  Michigan,  in  the  city  of  Lansing,  and  her  death 
resulted  from  an  attack  of  pneumonia.  Charles  E.  Goodrich  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  connected  with  the  United  States 
mail  service  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Frank  R.  Goodrich.  A  scion  of  a  family  whose  name  has  lieen 
prominentlv  and  worthily  linked  with  the  history  of  Michigan  since  the 
territorial  days.  Frank  R.  Goodrich  is  one  of  the  representative  citizens 
of  Traverse  City  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  Hon.  Reuben  Goodrich,  to 
whom  a  memoir  is  dedicated  on  other  pages  of  this  publication,  so  that 
further  review  of  the  family  history  is  not  demanded  at  this  juncture. 

Frank  R.  Goodrich  was  born  at  Goodrich,  Genesee  county,  Michigan, 
a  town  of  which  his  father  was  one  of  the  founders,  and  the  date  of  his 
nativity  was  August  16,  1857.  so  that  he  was  about  three  years  of  age  at 
the  time  of  the  family  removal  to  Traverse  City.  He  has  had  a  wide 
and  varied  experience  in  connection  with  the  industrial  and  civic  develop- 
ment of  this  section  of  the  State,  and  achieved  special  prowess  and  re])u- 
tation  in  connection  with  his  activities  as  a  lumberman,  his  venerable 
uncle,  the  late  Enos  Goodrich,  having  uttered  the  following  pertinent 
statement  at  a  noteworthy  family  reunion  held  in  1885 :  "Did  space 
permit  the  insertion  of  the  rough-and-tumble  experiences  of  Frank  Good- 
rich in  IVIuskegon  log  driving  and  lumber-camp  life,  the  recital  would 
rival  in  interest  the  adventures  of  Daniel  Boone,  of  Kentucky,  or  David 
Crockett  on  the  head  of  the  Cumberland."  Reared  under  the  conditions 
that  obtained  at  the  height  of  the  great  lumber  industry  of  Northern 
Michigan.  JMr.  Goodrich  naturally  became  inspired  with  the  spirit  that 
was  much  in  evidence,  and  preferred  life  in  the  woods  to  the  prosecution 
of  a  collegiate  course,  his  early  educational  training  having  been  obtained 
in  the  primitive  schools  of  the  pioneer  days  in  Grand  Traverse  county, 
and  this  having  been  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  Benzonia  Business 
College,  at  Benzonia.  Benzie  county.  He  initiated  his  independent  career 
in  the  sturdv  and  hazardous  role  of  a  "lumber  jack."  and  he  continued 
to  be  identified  with  the  operations  of  the  great  logging  camps  of  North- 
ern Michigan  until  the  supply  of  timber  had  been  virtually  exhausted  and 
the  stirring  labors  and  incidents  of  the  early  days  had  become  but  memo- 
ries. Of  fine  physique  and  great  muscular  power,  matured  through  his 
herculean  labors  in  connection  with  lumbering  operations.  Mr.  Goodrich 
was  given  charge  of  the  work  of  a  corps  of  forty  men  in  one  of  his 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1917 

father's  lumber  camps  when  he  was  but  eighteen  years  of  age.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one  he  was  the  "walking  boss"  of  a  force  of  more  than 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  in  the  employ  of  the  Corning  Canal  Com- 
pany, in  the  service  of  w^iich  corporation  he  continued  for  eleven  years, 
within  which  period  he  had  charge  of  the  breaking  of  roadways  and 
gained  familiarity  with  all  other  details  of  the  logging  industry  and  the 
manufacturing  of  lumber.  It  may  consistently  be  said  that  he  blazed  a 
trail  across  and  up  and  down  tlie  great  lumber  forests  of  Northern 
Michigan,  and  he  incidentally  gained  reputation  as  one  of  the  ablest 
managers  of  large  forces  of  men  that  the  lumber  industry  could  claim 
in  the  days  of  its  greatest  activities  in  this  section  of  the  State.  He 
commanded  the  rough  but  sincere  affection  of  his  men,  maintained  strict 
discipline  but  was  always  considerate  and  generous,  wnth  deep  apprecia- 
tion of  the  intrinsic  worth  of  character  often  concealed  under  coarse 
exteriors,  and  his  splendid  physical  powers,  coupled  with  courage  and 
daring,  made  him  a  favorite  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  lumber  camps  and 
the  perils  of  the  river  drives  of  logs.  Only  those  who  have  had  similar 
experience  can  fully  understand  the  finesse  and  resourcefulness  de- 
manded in  the  directing  of  the  labors  of  men  of  the  staunch  type  of  the 
old-time  lumber  camps. 

Upon  the  death  of  his  distinguished  and  honored  father,  in  1899,  Mr. 
Goodrich  became  the  administrator  of  the  large  family  estate,  a  part  of 
which  is  the  fine  Goodrich  farm,  a  considerable  portion  of  which  is  now 
within  the  city  limits  of  Traverse  City.  He  has  shown  much  ability  in 
his  real  estate  operations,  and,  handling  the  property  of  his  father's 
estate,  he  has  wielded  potent  influence  in  the  development  and  upbuilding 
of  the  western  part  of  Traverse  City,  where  he  has  platted  several  sub- 
divisions and  successfully  carried  forward  the  constructive  enterprise 
initiated  by  his  father.  For  four  years  Mr.  Goodrich  served  as  mayor 
pro  tern  of  Traverse  City,  and  he  has  also  given  eft'ective  service  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  municipal  board  of  public  works,  the  while  showing  a  loyal 
interest  in  all  that  touches  the  civic  and  material  welfare  of  the  city  and 
county  that  have  so  long  represented  his  home  and  in  which  his  circle  of 
friends  is  coincident  with  that  of  his  acquaintances. 

The  political  proclivities  of  Mr.  Goodrich  are  indicated  by  the  allegi- 
ance which  he  accords  to  the  Republican  party,  and  in  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity he  has  received  the  Knights  Templar  degree,  besides  being 
affiliated  with  the  Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  .the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine.  He  attends  and  gives  generous  support  to  the  Congregational 
church,  of  which  his  wife  is  a  devoted  member,  besides  which  she  is  a 
member  of  the  Ladies'  Library  Club,  past  matron  of  the  local  chapter  of 
the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  which  she  has  represented  in  the  grand 
chapter  of  the  State,  and  is  a  leader  in  the  best  social  activities  of  her 
home  city.  Mr.  Goodrich  is  affiliated  also  with  the  local  lodge  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  with  the  lodge  and  uni- 
formed rank  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

On  the  13th  of  February,  1902,  Mr.  Goodrich  wedded,  at  Boyne 
Falls,  Charlevoix  county,  iliss  Myrtie  Thompson,  who  was  born  at 
Millington,  Tuscola  couiity,  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  George  C.  and 
Carrie  (Van  Wormer )  Thompson.  Her  father,  who  is  now  deceased, 
served  as  postmaster  at  Millington,  under  the  administration  of  President 
Cleveland,  and  for  eight  years  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  supervis- 
ors of  Tuscola  county,  where  he  was  a  citizen  of  prominence  and  influ- 
ence. He  was  a  Knight  Templar  Mason.  Mrs.  Thompson,  who  is  also 
deceased,  was  a  representative  of  one  of  the  leading  pioneer  families  of 
Tuscola  county. 


1918  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

August  Celestine  Mel:ee.  Many  years  ago  ]Mr.  Melze  was  in  the 
real  estate  business.  He  and  Charles  V.  Johnson  owned  the  tract  of 
land  on  which  the  town  of  Merrill  was  platted  by  them,  and  jointly  they 
supervised  all  the  work  connected  with  the  clearing  out  of  the  streets, 
and  he  was  also  a  merchant  in  that  community.  For  twenty  years  Atr. 
Melze  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  larger  mercantile  enter- 
prise of  the  city  of  Saginaw,  and  is  now  at  the  head  of  the  Melze-Alder- 
ton  Shoe  Company,  wholesale  jobbers  in  shoes  and  rubbers,  and  one  of 
the  largest  wholesale  shoe  companies  in  the  state  of  Michigan. 

August  Celestine  Melze  was  born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  six  miles 
from  President  McKinley's  home  in  Canton.  The  date  of  his  birth  was 
October  12,  1851.  His  parents,  Pierre  and  Louise  (Prenot)  Melze,  were 
natives  of  France,  and  early  in  the  forties  settled  in  Stark  county,  Ohio. 
The  father  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  manufactured  barrels  and  did  an  ex- 
tensive business  in  that  line'at  Louisville,  in  Stark  county,  Ohio.  In  1866 
he  brought  the  family  to  ^Michigan,  locating  near  St.  Johns,  but  one 
vear  later  moved  to  Chesaning,  Michigan,  wdiere  he  and  his  son,_  August, 
"worked  in  a  hoop  factory.  There  the  father  continued  until  his  retire- 
ment, and  the  last  vears  of  his  life  were  spent  at  ease  and  in  comfort  in 
the  village  of  :Merrill,  where  he  passed  away  when  eighty-one  years  of 
age.  His  wife  also  ended  her  davs  in  :\Ierrill,  and  both  lie  interred  in  the 
cemetery  at  Hemlock.  There  were  four  children,  the  other  three  beuig 
mentioned  as  follows:  Emil  Melze,  who  went  to  the  front  as  a  Union 
soldier,  was  lieutenant  of  a  company,  and  received  wounds  in  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg  that  caused  his  death  four  days  later;  Dr.  Louis  Melze, 
for  som'e  years  practiced  medicine  in  Saginaw,  later  reached  a  promnient 
place  in  his  profession  in  Chicago,  where  he  died  in  1906,  after  a  long 
illness ;  Elise  is  the  wife  of  Peter  L.  Perkins  of  Merrill. 

August  C.  Melze  received  his  early  training  in  the  parochial  Catholic 
schools  of  Stark  countv,  Ohio.  He 'was  fourteen  years  old  when  the 
family  moved  to  Michigan.  Soon  afterwards  his  attention  was  directed 
to  the  real  estate  business,  and  he  became  owner  of  considerable  land  m 
Saginaw  countv,  including  the  site  upon  which  he  located  and  laid  out 
the'town  of  Merrill.  This  little  village  is  on  the  Pere  Marquette  Railroad, 
on  the  Grand  Rapids  Division.  Mr.  Melze  established  the  first  store  in 
that  town,  cleared  off  the  woods  and  laid  out  the  streets,  was  instrumental 
in  organizing  the  first  bank,  and  more  than  any  other  individual  gave  hi.= 
efforts  in  a  public-spirited  manner  toward  the  upbuilding  of  that  com- 
munity. His  business  relations  and  residence  in  the  town  continued  until 
1892,  'in  which  year  he  moved  to  Saginaw  and  engaged  in  the  wholesale 
grocery  business.  Mr.  Melze  organized  the  firm  of  Melze,  Smart  &  Com- 
pany, 'but  in  1895  sold  out  his  interests  and  again  resumed  the  real 
estate  business.  In  1896,  Mr.  Melze  became  manager  of  the  Waldron, 
Alderton  Companv,  and  then  bought  the  Waldron  interests,  and  has  since 
been  active  head  'of  the  Melze,  Alderton  Shoe  Company.  This  business 
has  been  increased  materially  under  his  management,  and  at  the  present 
time  the  stock  requires  twenty  thousand  feet  of  floor  space  and  steady 
employment  is  given  to  seventeen  office  people  and  salesmen.  Their 
traveling  representatives  cover  the  entire  southern  peninsula  of  Michi- 

Mr.  Melze  is  a  director  of  the  Commercial  National  Bank  of  Saginaw. 
Since  1907,  the  year  in  which  it  was  organized,  he  has  been  an  active 
member  and  treasurer  of  the  Merchants  &  Manufacturers  Association  of 
Saginaw.  This  association  is  made  up  entirely  of  wholesale  merchants 
and  manufacturers,  and  has  been  very  active  and  influential  m  bringing 
in  new  industries  and  also  in  fostering  the  welfare  of  local  business  al- 
ready established,  and  the  general  interests  of  the  city. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1919 

In  the  fall  of  1875,  !Mr.  Melze  married  Miss  Margaret  Murph}-,  who 
was  born  in  Ohio.  They  have  one  child,  Nellie  Louise  Melze,  who  mar- 
ried Harr)'  P.  Baker  of  Saginaw.  Air.  Melze  enjoys  his  vacations  with 
his  wife  and  friends  in  extended  automobile  tours.  In  his  private  char- 
acter he  possesses  a  kindly,  genial  nature,  and  is  in  the  best  sense  of  the 
term,  a  man  of  broad  and  liberal  views. 

Nelson  Brothers  Company.  This  is  now  one  of  the  large  and  in- 
dustrial concerns  of  Saginaw,  and  the  output  of  gasoline  engines,  pump 
machinery,  and  feed  grinders  is  known  to  the  trade  not  only  in  this  coun- 
try, but  in  various  foreign  markets,  and  the  reputation  of  their  machin- 
ery has  been  held  up  to  the  strictest  standards,  and  has  stood  the  most 
rigid  tests  of  efficiency,  wherever  used.  The  Nelson  Brothers  co-part- 
nership has  been  a  very  prosperous  enterprise,  such  as  few  concerns  in 
the  state  of  Alichigan  can  equal.  A  few  years  ago  they  started  in  a  very 
small  way,  and  at  the  present  time  the  annual  volume  of  business  will 
run  between  a  quarter  and  a  third  of  a  million  dollars  a  year.  The  three 
partners  are  Clarence  A.,  Harry  B.  and  Clinton  J.  Nelson. 

These  are  all  sons  of  Clinton  and  Harriet  (Boughton)  Nelson.  Both 
parents  were  born  in  Clinton  county,  Michigan,  and  the  father,  who 
was  born  in  1852,  has  prospered  and  become  one  of  the  foremost  land 
owners  and  citizens  of  Gratiot  county,  where  he  owns  extensive  tracts  of 
land,  and  is  highly  regarded  as  a  citizen  and  business  man.  When  he 
was  twenty-five  years  of  age  he  started  on  his  own  account  as  a  farmer, 
moving  to  Gratiot  county,  and  as  he  gradually  got  ahead  in  this  world, 
all  his  profits  were  reinvested  in  land,  and  a  number  of  years  ago,  he 
ranked  as  one  of  the  largest  landed  proprietors  in  that  county.  During 
recent  years,  all  his  time  has  been  devoted  to  the  management  of  his  real 
estate  interests.    His  home  is  in  Alma  in  Gratiot  county. 

His  wife  died  several  years  ago.  There  were  thirteen  children  and 
two  of  these  are  deceased,  the  living  being  mentioned  as  follows :  Burton 
E.,  who  lives  at  Alma,  and  is  a  farmer  of  Gratiot  county ;  Clarence  A., 
Harry  B.,  and  Clinton  J.,  all  members  of  the  firm  of  Nelson  Brothers  at 
Saginaw :  Lulu  B.,  wife  of  William  Fowler,  of  Sumner,  Michigan ;  Ora 
D.,  wife  of  \\'illiam  Bacon,  of  St.  Johns,  Michigan ;  Floyd,  a  farmer  near 
Alma ;  Lyle  S.,  a  farmer  at  Alma ;  Ivan  J.,  a  student  in  the  University 
of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor:  Fern  A.  and.  Nellie  M.,  who  live  at  home 
with  their  father. 

Harry  B.  Nelson  was  the  first  of  the  sons  to  turn  from  farming  into 
manufacturing,  and  that  was  in  the  fall  of  1908.  He  bought  an  old  es- 
tablished machine  shop  at  Alma,  long  conducted  under  the  name  of  J.  M. 
Monhigal  &:  Company.  A  year  later  he  was  joined  by  his  brother, 
Clarence,  and  during  that  second  year  they  started  the  manufacture  of 
pumping  machinery.  It  was  a  very  small  output  at  first,  and  after  prov- 
ing themselves  successful  in  one  line  they  added  the  manufacture  of 
gasoline  engines.  They  soon  became  convinced  that  Saginaw  was  a  most 
eligible  place  for  their  business,  not  only  for  its  superior  railroad  facili- 
ties, but  for  the  general  industrial  situation.  In  191 1,  the  two  brothers 
were  joined  bv  their  brother,  Clinton,  and  in  December  of  the  same  year, 
they  bought  several  acres  of  land  at  Morse  and  Owen  Streets,  upon  which 
they  built  a  modern  brick  plant,  up  to  date  in  every  respect  from  a  sani- 
tary and  factory  standpoint,  installed  the  latest  improved  machinery,  and 
there  their  business  has  been  steadily  prospering  from  its  inauguration. 
Five  mechanics  were  first  employed  in  their  factory,  only  three  or  four 
years  ago,  and  at  the  present  time  their  force  numbers  more  than  one 
hundred  workmen,  the  greater  number  of  whom  are  skilled  laborers.  Be- 
sides the  manufacture  of  gasoline  engines,  and  pumping  machinery,  they 


1920  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

put  out  a  general  line  of  feed  grinding  machines.  At  the  present  time  a 
greater  part  of  their  product  has  been  successfully  placed  on  the  foreign 
market,  and  various  parts  of  the  world.  Four  traveling  representatives 
cover  the  general  trade,  and  one  for  the  jobbing  trade.  The  states  of 
Ohio  and  Alichigan  are  exceptionally  well  covered  by  the  Xelson  ma- 
chines. A  few  thousand  dollars  would  have  covered  the  aggregate  of 
business  during  the  hrst  year,  and  in  19 13,  their  gross  sales  amounted  to 
between  two  hundred  and  lifty  thousand  dollars  and  three  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars. 

Clarence  Nelson,  the  oldest  of  the  three  partners,  was  born  Ajiril  2Ti, 
1880,  was  educated  in  the  grammar  and  high  schools,  and  also  in  a  com- 
mercial college,  and  by  his  marriage  to  Miss  Olive  Church,  a  native  of 
Gratiot  county  and  a  daughter  of  Frank  Church,  there  are  six  children, 
as  follows:  Thelma,  Irene,  Ronald,  Earl,  and  Helen  and  Hazel,  twins. 
Harry  B.  Xelson,  the  second  in  age,  was  born  Alay  9,  1882.  received  edu- 
cational advantages  similar  to  those  of  his  brother,  and  in  1902  married 
Miss  Cora  Rowley,  of  Gratiot  county,  a  daughter  of  Frank  Rowley. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Ruth  Nelson. 

Clinton  J.  Xelson,  the  youngest  of  the  firm,  was  born  October  11. 
1883,  and  is  a  lawyer  by  training,  having  graduated  11.  A.  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan  in  the  class  of  1909,  and  having  taken  his  degree  in 
the  law  department  in  iqii.  Clinton  Xelson  married  Miss  Harriet 
Bailey,  who  was  born  in  Livingston  county,  ^lichigan,  a  (laughter  of 
James  Bailey.     To  this  marriage  has  been  born  one  daughter.  Myra. 

The  brothers  are  all  Progressive  Republicans  in  politics,  and  likewise 
most  progressive  business  men,  their  enterprise  in  this  industrial  held 
characterizing  their  relations  with  the  general  community. 

William  T.  Hoey.  A  life-long  resident  of  Michigan,  and  a  native 
of  Alpena,  where  his  business  interests  are  now  chiefly  centered,  William 
T.  Hoey  is  a  graduate  from  that  rugged  school  of  the  lumber  industry, 
and  since  his  earlier  experiences  under  some  of  the  most  capable  kings 
of  that  business  he  has  attained  an  independent  position  as  a  manufac- 
turer and  dealer.  The  people  of  Alpena  also  esteem  Mr.  Hoey  as  a  leader 
and  a  man  whose  career  and  influence  has  had  a  valuable  share  in  com- 
munity welfare. 

William  T.  Hoey  was  born  in  Alpena  September  3.  1875,  a  son  of 
William  J.  and  Constance  (Jermain)  Hoey.  There  were  four  children 
in  the  family.  The  father  came  to  Michigan  in  1864  and  enlisted  in  one 
of  the  ^lichigan  regiments  during  the  closing  months  of  the  war.  \\'illiam 
T.  Hoey  had  only  such  education  as  was  supplied  by  the  grammar  schools 
of  Alpena,  and  when  ready  to  take  up  the  serious  responsibilities  of  life 
found  employment  as  a  laborer  in  the  lumber  woods  and  in  the  saw  mills. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  took  employment  with  J.  A.  Widner,  and  sub- 
sequently became  a  manager  with  the  great  lumber  enterprise  conducted 
bv  Ed  Ayer  of  Chicago.  He  rose  to  responsibilities  of  an  executive 
office  with  that  firm,  and  after  some  years  engaged  in  business  with  W.  H. 
Sanborn,  and  was  subsequently  taken  into  partnership.  Later  Riebeneck, 
Sanborn  &  Hoev  organized  the  .American  Cedar  iS:  Lumber  Company. 
Mr.  Hoey  was  president  of  that  concern,  but  three  years  later  drew  out 
to  establish  himself  independently,  and  has  since  carried  on  an  extensive 
business  with  headquarters  at  Alpena  under  the  name  of  the  Western 
Cedar  &  Lumber  Company. 

William  T.  Hoey  was  married  to  Florence  ^Masters,  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam and  Amelia  (Bradford)  Masters.  They  became  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  seven  daughters  and  one  son,  one  of  whom  is  now  deceased. 
Mrs.  Hoey  died  December  22,  1913.    Mr.  Hoey  is  a  member  of  the  Epis- 


C.U^>J-,r-^ 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1921 

copal  church,  has  fraternal  affiliations  with  the  Masonic  Order  and  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  in  politics  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican. 

Richard  Jones.  Prominent  among  the  energetic  and  enterprising 
men  who  have  been  ini^uential  in  developing  and  advancing  the  extensive 
lumber  interests  of  Northern  Michigan  is  Richard  Jones,  of  Saint  Ignace, 
head  of  the  Jones  &  Kerry  Lumber  Company.  Beginning  life  for  him- 
self when  very  young,  and  under  adverse  circumstances,  his  father  having 
been  an  invalid  for  nineteen  years,  he  helped  support  the  family  with  his 
meagre  wages,  but  through  persevering  industry,  careful  management  and 
unfaltering  zeal,  he  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward,  until  now  he  is 
a  power  in  the  industrial  and  commercial  life  of  the  community  in  which 
he  lives.  He  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  in  1859,  but  was  reared  in 
Michigan.  His  father,  Alexander  Jones,  a  retired  farmer,  living  in  Flint, 
Michigan,  married  Maria  Hobbs,  whose  death  occurred  in  1901.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  four  of  whom  have  passed  to  the  life 
beyond. 

The  second  child  in  succession  of  birth  of  the  parental  household, 
Richard  Jones  received  limited  educational  advantages,  attending  a  coun- 
try school  three  months,  only,  his  help  being  needed  on  the  home  farm, 
owing  to  the  illness  of  his  father.  He  was  a  great  reader,  however,  and 
through  home  study  in  the  evenings  he  obtained  a  practical  knowledge  of 
books".  Going  to  Sanilac  county  in  iS/S,  Mr.  Jones  was  there  employed 
in  a  sawmill  for  six  years,  during  which  time  he  saved  but  little  money, 
much  of  his  earnings  being  sent  to  his  parents.  In  1885.  shortly  after  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Jones  located  at  Gladstone,  Michigan,  then  known  as  San- 
der's Point,  becoming  a  pioneer  settler  of  that  place.  Clearing  a  tract  of 
timber,  he  erected  a  sawmill,  and  began  the  manufacture  of  lumber  on  a 
small  scale.  Unforeseen  difficulties  arising,  Mr.  Jones,  at  the  end  of  three 
years,  migrated  with  his  family  to  Asheville,  North  Carolina,  to  begin  life 
for  himself  once  more,  and  there  for  a  year  filed  band  saws  for  the  French 
Broad  Lumber  Company.  Returning  then  to  Michigan,  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Bay  Citv,  accepting  a  position  as  traveling  salesman  for  Em- 
erson, Smith  &  Company,  of  Beaver  Falls,  Pennsylvania,  nianufacturers 
of  saws  and  mill  supplies,  being  an  old  and  well-known  firm,  his  t^erri- 
tory  embracing  all  of  the  country  east  of  the  Mississippi  between  the  Great 
Lakes  and  the  Gulf.  As  a  salesman  he  was  very  successful  and  popular, 
earning  the  good  will  of  both  his  employers  and  his  customers. 

From  1896  until  1900  Mr.  Jones  spent  his  time  in  trying  to  promote 
patents  which  he  held.  In  1901  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Lake  Su- 
perior Corps  of  the  Clargue  Syndicate,  and  at  Soo  built  a  large  sawmill 
for  the  Algoma  Lumber  Company,  subsidiary  to  the  Lake  Superior  Corps. 
The  ensuing  four  years  Air.  Jones  had  the  management  of  the  Company's 
afifairs  at  that  place,  havii-^gin  his  employ  four  hundred  and  fifty  men. 
Going  to  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico,  in  1906,  he  became  general  manager 
of  the  American  Lumber  Company,  of  New  Jersey,  the  largest  lumber 
concern  in  the  Southwest  at  that  time,  in  his  work  giving  emplovment  to 
eleven  hundred  men,  and  specializing  in  Mexican  white  pine.  The  com- 
pany's mill  yards  covered  one  hundred  and  ten  acres,  and  they  owned 
1 12^000  acres  of  timber  land,  with  an  estimated  cut  of  r. 500,000,000  feet. 
Mr.'  Tones  was  a  large  stockholder  in  that  firm,  but  at  the  end  of  a  year 
resigned  his  position'as  general  manager,  and  disposed  of  his  interests  in 

the  concern. 

Returning  to  Michigan,  Mr.  Jones  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  busniess 
at  Bay  City  for  about  a  vear,  and  then,  in  1907,  removed  to  Saint  Ignace. 
and  built  the  mill  which  he  now  owns.    He  subsequently  organized  a  stock 


1922  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

company,  capitalizing  it  at  $75,000,  under  the  name  of  tlie  Jones  &  Kern- 
Lumber  Company,  with  the  following  named  officers :  President,  Richard 
Jones ;  vice-president,  R.  Hanson ;  secretary  and  treasurer,  Charles  T. 
Kerry.  This  plant  covers  an  area  of  sixty  acres,  and  has  a  capacity  of 
60,000  feet  of  lumber,  30,000  laths,  and  40,000  shingles,  and  employs  one 
hundred  and  twenty  men.  The  firm  has  large  holdings  of  lumber,  with 
twelve  years'  supply  back  of  them,  it  being  mostly  hardwood,  with  hem- 
lock, and  some  pine.  Mr.  Jones  is  general  manager  of  the  entire  business 
of  the  company,  and  is  also  a  director  of  the  Carp  River  Boom  Company. 
Fraternally  ]\Ir.  Jones  is  a  member  of  Bay  City  Lodge  No.  129,  An- 
cient Free  and  Accepted  Order  of  Masons ;  of  Sault  Ste  Marie  Chapter, 
No.  102,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  of  Cheboygan  Commandery  No.  50, 
Knights  Templar,  which  he  helped  organize ;  and  of  Saginaw  Temple, 
Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also 
afiiliated  with  other  fraternal  organizations,  in  each  of  which  he  takes 
much  interest. 

Otto  Harxisch.  Of  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  earliest  pioneer 
families  in  the  Saginaw  \'alley.  Otto  Harnisch  in  the  third  generation  of 
the  family  residence  has  increased  the  distinctions  of  the  name  by  his 
organization  of  the  Valley  Stove  &  Range  Company,  the  largest  jobbing 
concern  of  its  kind  in  the  state,  of  which  he  is  practically  the  founder 
and  leading  spirit.  The  career  of  Mr.  Harnisch  may  be  said  to  have 
begun  in  the  days  when  he  was  getting  three  dollars  at  the  end  of  a  six- 
day  ])eriod  of  hard  labor,  and  his  advancement  has  always  depended  upon 
his  ability  to  work  hard  and  effectively  rather  than  upon  any  influence  or 
fortunate  circumstance. 

Otto  Harnisch  was  born  in  Saginaw,  March  18,  1870.  His  parents 
were  Frederick  C.  and  Louise  (  Schade )  Harnisch.  They  were  both  born 
in  Germany.  Grandfather  Frederick  Schade  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
in  the  Saginaw  Valley,  having  located  there  before  even  the  village  days 
of  Saginaw  city.  He  was  the  first  harness  maker  to  establish  a  shop  in 
what  is  now  the  city  of  Saginaw.  His  little  place  of  business  was  a  build- 
ing set  up  on  piles  at  one  of  the  points  that  is  now  a  center  of  the  business 
district.  Grandfather  Harnisch  was  much  more  than  a  mere  tradesman, 
and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  early  civic  activities  of  Saginaw.  His 
son,  Frederick,  served  as  the  first  fire  chief  of  the  Saginaw  \'olunteer  De- 
partment, and  in  recognition  of  his  efficient  services  in  their  behalf  the 
merchants  and  citizens,  a  number  of  years  ago,  presented  him  with  a 
beautiful  solid  silver  horn,  with  his  name  engraved  upon  it.  That  horn 
is  now  one  of  the  prized  possessions  of  Otto  Harnisch.  Frederick  C. 
Harnisch,  father  of  Otto,  was  one  of  the  first  to  engage  in  the  manu- 
facture of  cigars  in  Saginaw,  and  for  a  number  of  years  had  the  largest 
factory  of  that  kind  in  the  city.  He  was  one  of  the  charter  members 
of  the  Germania  society,  and  active  in  the  Arl:if  iter  Verein.  The  mother 
of  Otto  Harnisch  still  lives  in  the  old  homestead  in  Saginaw.  All  the 
family  have  been  members  of  the  Gemian  Lutheran  church,  from  the 
time  of  their  settlement  and  the  organization  of  that  denomination  in 
Saginaw.  There  were  two  children,  and  the  other  son  is  Frederick  Har- 
nisch, a  resident  of  Detroit. 

(  )ttii  Harnisch  grew  up  in  Saginaw,  was  a  student  of  the  public 
schools,  and  when  sixteen  years  old  entered  the  employ  of  the  Alorley 
Brothers  Hardware  Company,  they  being  the  leading  merchants  of  their 
line  in  the  city.  His  wages  at  the  start  were  hardly  sufficient  to  pay  his 
living  expenses.  He  possessed  certain  qualifications  which  soon  made 
him  valuable  to  the  concern  and  his  efficiency  may  be  best  judged  by  the 
fact  that  he  continued  with  Morley  Brothers  for  twenty-one  years,  and 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1923 

for  five  years  had  charge  of  their  stove  and  range  department  and  for 
eleven  years  was  a  travehng  representative,  specializing  in  the  distribu- 
tion and  sale  of  stoves  and  ranges  throughout  the  entire  state  of  Michi- 
gan. In  1907  Mr.  Harnisch  was  offered  as  manufacturer's  agent,  several 
of  the  leading  lines  which  he  had  sold  for  so  many  years,  and  accepted 
the  factory  output  as  a  jobber.  Thus  was  organized  and  came  into  suc- 
cessful existence  the  X'alley  Stove  &  Range  Company.  Mr.  Harnisch 
took  the  leading  and  controlling  interest  in  the  concern,  and  has  since 
built  up  the  largest  jobbing  concern  of  its  kind  in  Saginaw.  This  business 
is  in  many  ways  an  important  factor  in  the  general  prosperity  of  Saginaw, 
since  as  a  wholesale  distributing  concern,  it  has  linked  the  city  with  scores 
of  other  places  in  northern  Michigan,  and  there  are  hundreds  of  towns 
which  now  look  to  Saginaw  for  their  point  of  supply  for  the  hardware 
goods,  especially  stoves  and  ranges.  The  company's  plant  is  located  at 
the  intersection  of  River  and  Hess  Streets,  where  excellent  shipping  fa- 
cilities are  aft'orded.  They  handle  immense  quantities  of  stoves,  ranges, 
furnaces,  gas  and  gasoline  stoves,  and  more  than  twenty-five  thousand  of 
their  make  of  Model  ranges  and  Queen  heating  stoves  have  been  shipped 
from  the  Saginaw  Valley,  and  more  than  five  thousand  of  these  stoves 
are  in  use  in  Saginaw  homes.  Such  an  enterprise  is  a  splendid  tribute 
to  the  business  integrity  and  industry  of  Otto  Harnisch. 

Mr.  Harnisch  since  a  boy  of  eighteen  years  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Royal  League,  and  for  four  years  was  honored  with  the  office  of 
Prelate!  His  affiliation  is  also  found  with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks. 

Marshall  R.  Morden,  M.  D.  A  worthy  representative  of  the  medi- 
cal profession  in  Michigan  is  Dr.  Marshall  R.  Morden,  who  began  practice 
at  Adrian  in  1875,  and  through  nearly  forty  years  of  successful  profes- 
sional work,  has  dignified  his  calling  by  his  earnest  life  and  labor,  and  has 
won  a  prestige  by  which  he  well  merits  recognition  among  the  representa- 
tives of  Michigan  medical  fraternity. 

Dr.  Morden  is  a  Canadian  by  birth,  and  was  the  first  of  the  family  to 
come  to  Michigan,  though  he  was  subsequently  followed  by  two  brothers. 
He  was  born  at  Bay  Ouinte,  near  Belleville,  Ontario,  August  12,  1844. 
His  parents  were  John  H.  and  Mary  (Mason)  Morden,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Bay  Quinte,  the  father  born  in  1804,  and  died  in  1877, 
and  the  mother  bom  in  1813,  and  died  in  1893.  His  father  was  a  farmer 
and  fruit  grower,  and  did  fairly  well  in  a  business  way,  and  offered  his 
children  a  good  home  and  gave  them  fair  educational  opportunities. 
There  were  ten  children,  named  as  follows:  Mahala,  Carolina,  Lucy, 
Benson,  Lucretia,  Marshall  R.,  Lenora,  Samuel,  Edwin,  and  Walter. 

Dr.  Morden  grew  up  in  his  native  locality,  attended  the  schools  of 
Belleville,  and  later  Albert  College.  Some  years  after  attaining  to  man's 
estate,  he  determined  upon  the  medical  profession  as  his  future  work, 
and  bent  all  his  efforts  toward  his  proper  equipment  for  that  calling.  In 
1871,  Dr.  Morden  graduated  M.  D.  from  the  then  Medical  School  of  the 
University  of  Michigan,  and  immediately  after  graduating  located  for 
practice  at  Somerset,  in  Hillsdale  county.  Four  and  a  half-years  later 
he  moved  to  Adrian,  and  has  since  enjoyed  the  better  rewards  and  honors 
of  a  long  professional  career.  Dr.  Morden  is  a  Democrat,  a  memlier  of 
the  l.'nitarian  church,  and  lias  very  strong  views  on  the  temperance  ques- 
tion. For  recreation^  he  enjoys  gardening,  calls  himself  a  crank  on  the 
subject,  and  has  a  reputation  at  Adrian  as  being  one  of  the  most  successful 
producers  of  the  varied  crops  of  the  garden,  and  it  is  not  only  a  pleasure 
ijut  a  source  of  domestic  food  supply. 

At  Bay  Ouinte,  Ontario,  July  15,  1871,  Dr.  Morden  married  Sarah 


1924  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

Jane  Terrill,  a  daughter  of  Esli  Terrill,  a  farmer  of  Bay  Ouinte  neigh- 
borhood. Dr.  ]\Iorden  and  wife  have  two  children.  Esli  T.  and  Edwin  J. 
Edwin  T.  Morden  is  a  musician  at  Adrian,  and  by  his  marriage  to  Wini- 
fred Teachout  has  one  child,  Gwendolyn. 

Esli  T.  Morden,  son  of  Dr.  Marshall,  has  followed  in  the  footsteps  of 
his  father,  and  is  now  one  of  the  best  specialists  and  general  practitioners 
in  Lenawee  county.  He  graduated  in  medicine  from  the  Michigan  Col- 
lege of  Medicine  and  Surgery  in  Detroit,  in  1901,  spent  a  part  of  the 
following  year  in  post-graduate  work  at  the  Chicago  Eye,  Ear,  Nose  and 
Throat  College,  and  in  1902  entered  active  practice  at  Adrian,  being  now 
associated  with  his  father.  He  belongs  to  the  Lenawee  County  Medical 
Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  American  Medical 
Association,  and  for  the  past  four  years  has  been  secretary  of  the  Adrian 
Society  for  the  study  and  prevention  of  tuberculosis.  He  was  also  secre- 
tary for  one  year  of  the  Northern  Tri-State  Medical  Society.  Fraternally 
he  is  affiliated  with  the  Masons,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  and  with  his  family  attends  the  jMethodist  Protestant  church.  Dr. 
Esli  T.  Morden  married  at  Adrian  October  18,  1905,  ]\Iiss  Florence  Swift, 
a  daughter  of  I.  W.  Swift,  an  Adrian  grocer. 

Cii.ARLES  Carleton  Jenks.  Now  president  of  the  Michigan  Savings 
Bank  and  president  of  the  Security  Trust  Company  of  Detroit,  and  identi- 
fied with  other  financial  and  industrial  concerns,  Mr.  Jenks  began  his 
career  forty  years  ago  as  a  bookkeeper,  was  for  some  years  connected  with 
the  iron  manufacturing  and  hardware  trade  and  has  made  a  reputation  as 
one  of  the  successful  business  men  of  the  state. 

Charles  Carleton  Jenks  was  born  at  St.  Clair,  Michigan,  August  24, 
1S54.  His  father  was  an  early  Michigan  settler,  prominent  in  educational 
affairs  and  also  as  a  merchant,  lumberman  and  citizen.  His  father  was 
the  late  Hon.  Bela  W.  Jenks,  who  was  born  at  Crown  Point,  Essex  county, 
New  York,  June  6,  1824,  a  son  of  Jeremiah  W.  and  Hester  Jenks.  Bela 
\\'.  Jenks  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Crown  Point,  in  the 
Ferrisburg  Academy  and  in  the  Shelburn  Academy  in  Vermont,  and  also 
at  the  New  York  State  Normal  School  in  Albany.  Possessing  unusual 
scholarship  and  thorough  training  in  educational  affairs,  he  came  to 
Michigan  in  1848,  settling  in  St.  Clair  county,  and  establishing  a  select 
school  which  he  personally  conducted  for  a  number  of  years,  and  which 
furnished  superior  advantages  to  hundreds  of  the  youth  of  that  time.  In 
1853  he  joined  his  younger  brother,  Robert  H.,  in  merchandising  at  St. 
Clair,  a  partnership  that  existed  about  ten  years.  In  1867  they  invested 
in  timber  tracts  along  the  Saginaw  valley,  and  for  many  years  were  con- 
spicuous operators  in  the  lumber  industry  of  that  section.  Meanwhile 
Mr.  lenks  invested  largely  in  St.  Clair  county  real  estate  and  also  became 
the  owner  of  a  large  amount  of  property  in  the  city  of  St.  Clair.  In  1869 
he  was  elected  on  "the  Republican  ticket  to  the  Michigan  State  Senate  for 
the  Twenty-fourth  District,  and  by  reelection  in  1871  served  two  terms. 
\\'hile  his  public  service  was  of  a  varied  and  public  spirited  character  in 
all  its  relations,  he  was  particularly  interested  in  the  cause  of  education, 
and  was  the  first  director  of  the  Union  School  in  St.  Clair  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  a  member  of  the  city  board  of  education.  In  1881  Governor 
Jerome  appointed  him  to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the  Michigan  State  Board  of 
Education,  and  in  1882  he  was  regularly  elected  member  of  that  board  for 
the  term  of  six  years.  On  November  3,  1853,  Bela  W.  Jenks  married 
Sarah  Carleton  of  Granville,  New  York. 

Charles  C.  Jenks  spent  most  of  his  vouth  in  St.  Clair,  attended  the 
grammar  and  high  schools  of  that  city  and  finished  his  education  in  the 
Fort  Edward  Academy  of  New  York.     Locating  in  Detroit  in  1875,  he 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1925 

found  work  as  bookkeeper  with  the  old  Wyandotte  RoUing  ]Mills,  and 
later  that  company  made  him  salesman  for  its  products.  He  continued 
representing  the  firm  under  its  original  title  and  also  under  its  successors, 
the  Eureka  Iron  Company.  In  1887,  after  twelve  years  of  active  experi- 
ence in  the  iron  industry,  Mr.  Jenks  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Fletcher,  Jenks  &  Company,  wholesale  hardware  merchants,  and  was  in 
that  business  five  years.  Mr.  Jenks  in  1904  became  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  manufacturing  firm  of  Jenks  &  Muir,  under  the  name  Jenks  &  Muir 
Manufacturing  Company.  He  is  still  president  of  that  important  concern. 
IMr.  Jenks  is  president  of  the  Xewland  Hat  Company,  president  of  the 
Michigan  Savings  Bank  and  the  Security  Trust  Company,  and  president 
of  the  Commercial  and  Savings  Bank  of  St.  Clair,  his  old  home. 

He  has  membership  in  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce,  and  the  follow- 
ing clubs:  Detroit,  Detroit  Country  and  Detroit  Athletic.  On  November 
5,  1879,  occurred  his  marriage  in  Detroit  to  Miss  Christena  Strachan,  and 
their  two  children  are  Irene  S.  and  Eloise  C. 

George  Wayne  Syme.s.  For  a  period  of  thirty-five  years  the  Symes 
family  has  been  closely  identified  with  those  activities  which  constitute 
the  business  and  civic  life  of  a  community,  and  which  in  the  aggregate 
have  made  Shiawassee  one  of  the  most  progressive  counties  of  central 
Michigan.  The  late  Edward  Svmes,  whose  remarkable  enterprise  in  busi- 
ness affairs  is  now  continued  by  his  two  sons,  was  the  pioneer  lumber  man 
of  Bancroft,  and  may  be  justly  called  one  of  the  builders  of  that  prosper- 
ous little  city.  He  located  there  when  it  was  nothing  more  than  a  country 
settlement,  and  gave  his  influence  and  energy  to  every  subsequent  phase 
of  its  improvements. 

Edward  Symes  was  born  in  Milan,  Ohio,  and  his  wife  whose  maiden 
name  was  ]\Iarv  Kline,  was  a  native  of  the  same  vicinity.  Edward  Symes 
came  to  Michigan  in  early  life,  located  at  St.  Charles  in  Saginaw  county, 
where  he  became  identified  with  lumbering.  Two  years  later  he  returned 
to  Ohio  to  get  married,  and  then  brought  his  young  bride  to  St.  Charles, 
and  thenceforward  for  a  number  of  years  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  busi- 
ness afifairs  at  that  place.  He  fonned  a  co-partnership  with  his  brothers. 
Frank  J.  and  George  B.  Symes,  and  Symes  Brothers  Lumber  Company 
was  one  of  the  largest  and  most  extensi^•e  in  its  operation  in  the  Saginaw 
\"allev.  In  1878  the  companv  established  lumber  yards  at  Bancroft  and 
Durand.  The  brother  George  was  the  first  to  retire  from  the  firm  and  the 
two  remaining  brothers  then  established  saw  mills  at  McP)ain,  and  con- 
tinued actively  in  business  until  the  partnership  was  dissol\-ed  by  mutual 
consent. 

Edward  Symes  retained  the  lumber  yard  while  Frank  directed  the 
operation  of  the  mills.  In  1904  Edward  Symes  sold  out  the  lumber 
vards  in  Durand.  and  thereafter  devoted  his  entire  time  and  attention  to 
the  lumber  and  coal  business  at  Bancroft.  In  the  death  of  Edward  Symes, 
which  occurred  at  Bancroft,  March  26,  1911,  the  community  lost  one  of 
its  ablest  business  leaders  and  citizens.  Bancroft  had  been  only  recently 
established  when  his  firm  opened  a  lumber  yard  there  in  1878,  and  from 
that  time  until  his  death,  his  name  was  always  associated  with  prac- 
tically every  movement  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  locality.  His  large  es- 
tate at  the  time  of  his  death  included  two  fine  farms  in  Saginaw  county 
close  to  the  village  of  St.  Charles,  besides  a  pleasant  home  and  valuable 
business  property  in  Bancroft.  His  widow  now  occupies  the  old  home  in 
Bancroft.  Edward  Svmes  and  wife  had  two  sons,  the  older  being  Louis 
Kline  Symes. 

George  W.  Symes,  the  vounger  son  was  born  in  Ivancroft,  Michigan. 
August  10,  1887.'    His  training  for  life  was  unusually  thorough  both  as 


1026  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

to  school  equipment  and  early  associations  and  experience  in  practical 
affairs.  From  the  grammar  and  high  scliools  of  Bancroft,  he  was  for  two 
years  a  student  in  the  agricultural  college  of  Lansing.  During  his  school 
da_ys,  and  afterwards  he  was  closely  associated  with  his  father,  and  thus 
gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  lumber  and  coal  business,  so  that  he 
was  thoroughly  equipped  to  take  charge  of  the  business  and  estate  at 
the  time  of  his  father's  death. 

Mr.  George  W.  Symes  in  October,  1910,  married  Miss  Mildred  Con- 
ley  of  Oakland  county,  Michigan.  They  occupv  one  of  the  pleasant  homes 
of  Bancroft,  and  fraternally  Air.  Symes  is  at¥il'iated  with  the  Masonic  Or- 
der, the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks.  His  recreations  are  chiefly  hunting  and  fishing.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican  voter. 

Amos  O.  White.  A  position  of  world-won  leadership  in  business 
and  civic  affairs  is  that  of  Amos  O.  White  of  Fremont.  Mr.  White  was 
born  on  a  farm  in  Walker  township,  Kent  county,  Alichigan,  on  lanuarv 
8th,  1848.  His  great-grandfather,  Henry  White,  was  a  soldier  under 
Washmgton  for  seven  years  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  His  grandfather, 
Samuel  White,  was  born  in  Kinderhook,  near  Tarrytow^n,  New  York,  on 
April  1st,  1787.  He  lived  in  Otsego  county.  New  York,  and  moved  from 
there  to  Canada,  where  he  operated  a  flouring  mill.  In  1836  he  emigrated 
to  Walker  township,  Kent  county,  where  he  took  up  land  which  is 
now  a  part  of  the  City  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  lived  there  till  his  death  on 
March  4th,  1873.  One  of  his  sons,  Charles,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican 
War,  and  the  youngest  son,  Samuel,  served  as  a  captain  in  the  war  of  the 
Rebellion.  The  latter  is  still  living  in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-four.  Abel  Ford,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  Amos  O. 
White,  came  from  his  birthplace  of  \'ergennes,  \ermont.  to  Kent  county 
as  one  of  the  early  pioneers,  and  died  near  Grand  Rapids  at  an  advanced 
age. 

The  parents  of  Amos  O.  White  were  Milo  and  Mercy  (Ford)  White, 
the  former  being  born  at  Preble,  Otsego  county.  New  York,  lanuary  i, 
1816.  and  the  latter  in  Vergennes,  \'ermont,  August  24,  1815.  They  were 
married  in  Canada  on  January  31,  1838,  and  shortly  afterwards  came  to 
Michigan,  where  they  located  in  the  wilderness  of  Walker  township, 
Kent  county,  and  cleared  and  developed  a  farm  on  which  thev  lived  till 
January.  18(15.  In  that  year  they  moved  to  .Ashland  township,"  Newavgo 
county,  and  took  up  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixtv  acres,  wliich 
had  been  awarded  to  his  brother,  Charles,  for  services  iii  the  Mexican 
War.  Part  of  this  tract  with  its  original  forest  is  now  owned  by  A  O 
White. 

There  were  nine  children  in  the  family  of  the  parents,  Amos  O.  be- 
ing fifth  in  order  of  birth.  Three  are  still  living,  viz.:  Sophronia  M., 
who  married  Albert  L.  Russell  and  resides  at  Long  Beach,  California; 
and  Violetta  P.,  who  married  George  Rosewarne  and  lives  at  Grant, 
Michigan.  The  parents  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Church  and  the 
father  took  a  considerable  interest  in  Republican  politics  and  in  local 
affairs,  and  served  as  supervisor  of  Walker  township  in  Kent  county 
for  fourteen  years  when  that  locality  was  overwhelmingly  Democratic. 

Amos  O.  White  attended  the  c"bmmon  schools  of  Grand  Rapids  and 
nnished  his  education  in  the  high  school  of  that  city  and  in  Newaygo. 
At  the  beginning  of  his  successful  career  he  taught  school  for  four  years 
in  Newaygo  and  Aluskegon  counties. 

In  the  fall  of  1878,  soon  after  his  marriage,  he  located  at  Fremont, 
Michigan,  where  he  has  since  continuously  resided.  Here  he  opened  an 
office  as  representative  of  tire  and  life  insurance  companies,  and  in  that 


<,^ 


■"^'v^-^, 

'""< 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1927 

field  his  success  has  been  pre-eminent.  He  solicited  the  majority  of  the 
capital  stock  of  the  Patron's  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Ne- 
waygo, IMuskegon  and  Oceana  counties,  a  farmers'  mutual,  and  has  had 
charge  of  the  company  since  1879,  and  the  success  of  the  company  has 
chiefly  been  due  to  his  efforts.  He  is  secretary-treasurer  of  the  company, 
which  has  grown  under  his  management  from  $100,000  of  insurance  at 
risk  to  over  $9,000,000  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  White  has  also  been 
president  of  the  State  Association  of  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Companies 
for  several  years,  having  previously  served  as  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
that  organization. 

Since  coming  to  Fremont,  Mr.  White  has  held  various  township  and 
village  offices,  among  them  being  township  clerk,  treasurer  and  justice  of 
the  peace,  which  latter  office  he  held  for  twenty-four  years  continuously. 
He  also  served  as  village  trustee  and  village  president. 

In  the  field  of  education,  Mr.  White  has  always  taken  an  active  in- 
terest, and  for  years  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board  at  Fremont. 
He  was  largely  instrumental  in  bringing  the  Fremont  schools  to  their 
present  high  standard. 

In  addition  to  his  other  interests,  Mr.  White  is  president  of  the  Fre- 
mont State  Bank  and  assisted  in  its  organization.  He  also  organized  and 
is  a  director  in  the  Grant  State  Bank,  at  Grant,  Michigan. 

Since  1880,  Mr.  White  has,  with  the  exception  of  one  year,  served  as 
treasurer  for  the  different  Masonic  bodies  of  Fremont.  He  is  a  member 
of  Pilgrim  Lodge,  No.  180,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Fremont  Chapter  No.  131,  R.  A. 
M. ;  Fremont  Council  No.  76,  R.  &  S.  M. ;  Muskegon  Commandery  No. 
22,  K.  T. ;  Dewitt  Clinton  Consistory,  thirty-second  degree,  A.  A.  S.  R.  M. 
with  its  subordinate  degrees;  Saladin  Temple  A.  A.  O.  N.  M.  S. ;  and 
Magnolia  Chapter  No.  70,  O.  E.  S. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr.  White  has  •ajitendea' every  national  con- 
vention of  his  party  for  the  last  twenty-four  years,  was  an  elector  on 
the  second  Bryan  ticket,  and  has  been  a  delegate  or  an  alternate  at 
Democratic  conventions  for  the  past  sixteen  years.  Mr.  White,  through 
his  business  energ)'  and  success  for  a  number  of  years  enjoyed  liberal 
means,  and  has  used  it  for  extended  travel,  having  visited  nearly  all  the 
countries  of  the  world. 

On  October  ist,  1878,  he  was  married  to  Ida  M.,  daughter  of  Sulli- 
van and  Mary  C.  (Sheldon)  Armstrong,  who  were  early  pioneers  of 
Michigan.  The  father  was  born  in  Riga,  Monroe  county.  New  York, 
March  3rd,  1821.  When  six  years  old  he  came  with  his  parents  and 
settled  at  Wall  Lake,  ^Michigan.  His  father  dying  the  next  year,  the 
mother  returned  to  New  York,  where  Sullivan  lived  until  of  age.  He 
then  came  to  Kent  county,  Michigan,  and  took  up  land  in  Wright  town- 
ship. On  December  4th,' 1844,  he  married  ]Mary  C-,  daughter  of  George 
and  Sarah  M.  (Davis)  Sheldon,  who  were  among  the  earliest  settlers 
of  Grand  Rapids,  coming  from  Wilson,  N.  Y.,  in  1837,  where  Mary  C. 
was  born  on  October  ist,  1827.  After  living  eight  years  in  Wright  and 
Walker  townships  in  Kent  county,  Mr.  Armstrong  moved  his  family  to 
Ashland  township,  Newaygo  county,  in  the  fall  of  1852.  He  was  the 
third  settler  in  this  township,  which  was  then  a  dense  wilderness.  Mr. 
Armstrong  lived  to  see  it  all  cleared  and  made  to  blossom  as  the  rose. 
Six  vears  before  his  death  he  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Fremont,  where 
he  died  January  30th,  1890.    Mrs.  Armstrong  died  January  12th,  191 1. 

Mrs."  Ida  M.\Vhite  was  born  in  Ashland  March  22d,  1856,  from  a 
long  line  of  Puritan  ancestors  on  both  sides,  being  a  direct  descendant 
of  William  Brewster  of  the  Mayflower  on  her  maternal  side. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  are  the  parents  of  three  children :  Milo  A.,  born 
December  6th,  1879,  who  graduated  from  the  Ferris  Institute  and  also 


1928  HISTORY  OF  AIICHIGAN 

from  the  literary  and  law  courses  in  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  has 
been  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Fremont,  ^Michigan,  since  1904,  enjoying 
a  successful  position  in  the  local  bar ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Phi  Kappa 
Psi  fraternity  and  also  a  member  of  the  same  Masonic  bodies  as  his 
father;  Annie  L.,  born  February  21st,  1882,  the  second  child,  graduated 
from  the  Musical  Department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  was  a 
member  of  the  Kappa  Alpha  Theta  sorority,  and  married  Warren  E. 
Emley,  who  is  employed  in  the  government  Bureau  of  Standards  at 
Pittsburgh;  Mary  L.,  born  November  28,  1886,  was  a  student  at  Yi)si- 
lanti  Normal  and  graduated  from  the  Literary  Department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan  and  married  George  H.  Brown,  who  is  also 
employed  in  the  government  Bureau  of  Standards  at  Pittsburgh. 

John  Wendell  Anderson.  One  of  Detroit's  prominent  lawyers  is 
John  Wendell  Anderson,  who  for  over  twenty  years  has  practiced  his 
profession  in  the  Moffatt  Building,  and  who  as  an 'individual  and  in  asso- 
ciation with  other  well  known  members  of  the  local  bar  has  enjoyed  some 
of  the  best  distinctions  and  rewards  of  the  profession. 

A  Wisconsin  man  by  birth,  John  W.  Anderson  was  born  at  Pa 
Crosse,  September  25,  1868,  the  son  of  Hon.  Wendel  A.  Anderson,  M. 
D.,  and  Susan  M.  ( Small )  Anderson.  He  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  ward  and  high  public  schools  of  La  Crosse  and  then  entered 
Cornell  University.  Here  he  took  a  special  course  in  history  and  po- 
litical economy  complemented  by  a  course  of  lectures  at  McGill  Uni- 
versity in  Montreal,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  he  entered  the  law  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Michigan  from  which,  with  the  degree  of  LL. 
B.,  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1890.  Admitted  to  the  bar  in  the 
same  year  he  forthwith  began  his  practice  in  Detroit.  The  first  three 
years  he  was  associated  with  the  firm  of  Bowen,  Douglas  ^-  Whiting. 
From  October,  1893.  to  January',  1896,  he  was  the  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Anderson  &  Codd.  The  junior  member  was  Hon.  George  P.  Codd, 
former  city  attorney,  former  mayor  of  Detroit,  and  now  on  the  circuit 
bench.  In  1896  Mr.  Anderson  formed  a  partnership  with  Horace  H. 
Rackham,  under  the  firm  name  of  Anderson  (S;  Rackham,  and  later  as 
Anderson,  Rackham  &  Wilcox.  Since  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Rackham  in 
1913  the  firm  name  has  been  Anderson  &  Wilco.x.  Mr.  Anderson  was 
one  of  the  original  incorporators  of  the  Ford  Motor  Company,  in  which 
he  owns  a  substantial  interest.  He  is  also  a  tlirector  in  the  Plighland 
Park  State  Bank. 

I\Ir.  Anderson  has  meml^ership  in  the  Detroit  Bar  Association  and 
the  Michigan  State  Bar  Association.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Chi  Psi 
College  Fraternity ;  of  the  Masonic  Order ;  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Com- 
merce and  of  the  New  England  Society.  His  clubs  are:  Detroit,  Old, 
Yondotega,  Detroit  Athletic,  Detroit  Boat,  Players,  Bankers,  Green  Bag, 
Countrv  and  University,  of  which  last  he  was  president  in  1902-03,  and 
a  member  of  its  first  board  of  governors. 

On  June  19,  1895.  Mr.  Anderson  married  Gustava  D.  Doeltz,  a  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  Hon.  William  l~)oelt7  of  Detroit.  Their  two  children  are 
Wendell  W.  and  Suzanne  M. 

Clement  McDon.ald  Siinii,  Judge  of  the  Fifth  Judicial  Circuit  of 
Michigan,  is  the  son  of  David  W.  Smith  and  Leonora  (McDonald)  Smith. 
The  father  was  a  man  of  English  descent  and  a  native  of  Orleans  county. 
New  York,  while  the  mother,  also  a  native  of  New  York,  was  of  Scotch 
descent.  Judge  Smith  was  born  December  4,  1844,  near  Fort  Wayne,  In- 
diana, and  was  brought  to  Michigan  in  infancy  by  his  parents,  who  set- 
tled near  Nashville,  Barrv  countv,  on  the  farm  on  which  they  now  live. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1929 

The  early  years  of  Judge  Smith  were  spent  at  work  on  the  farm  and 
in  attendance  upon  the  district  school.     At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  entered 
the  Academy  at  \'ermontville,  where  he  spent  a  year  in  qualifying  him- 
self for  teaching.    From  that  time  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one 
he  spent  the  winters  in  teaching  and  the  summers  in  fami  work.    In  1865- 
66  he  attended  the  law  department  of  the  University  of  ^Michigan  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  spring  of  1868.     In  early  boyhood  he  had 
not  expected  to  be  a  lawyer,  but  an  incident  that  transpired  when  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age  determined  the  choice  of  a  profession  as  his  life 
work.    He  was  then  a  teacher  in  the  country  schools  and  happened  to  be 
a  witness  to  a  collision  between  two  vehicles,  in  one  of  which  he  was  rid- 
ing with  the  owner  upon  the  highw-ay.     The  accident  led  to  litigation. 
During  the  course  of  the  trial  he  was  fascinated  with  the  application  of 
law  to  the  rights  of  the  parties  and  especially  by  the  arguments  of  the 
counsel  before  the  jury.     From  that  moment  his  decision  to  become  a 
lawyer  was  fixed  and  irrevocable.     His  course  of  study  was  chosen  with 
that  end  in  view.    After  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  opened  an  office  for 
practice  at  Nashville  in  the  spring  of  1868.    The  following  winter  he  was 
principal  of  the  first  union  school  organized  in  Nashville  after  its  incor- 
poration.    In  the  spring  of  1869  he  went  to  ^linnesota  and  engaged  for 
six  months  in  the  business  of  soliciting  for  a  fire  insurance  company,  and 
upon  returning  to  Barry  county  in  the  fall,  he  settled  at  Middleville  and 
formed  a  law  partnership  with  Harvey  Wright,  which  was  continued  for 
about  six  months.    He  then  returned  to  Naslnille,  where  he  resumed  prac- 
tice, continuing  until  1876.    In  that  year  he  was  elected  Probate  Judge  of 
Barry  county  and  removed  to  Hastings  on  January  i,  1877.     This  office 
he  held  for  eight  years,  and  performed  its  duties  in  a  manner  entirely  sat- 
isfactory to  the  public.     During  his  term  of  office  he  continued  his  law 
practice  and  was  associated  for  about  two  years  with  Charles  AI.  Knoppen, 
devoting  such  time  as  he  could  spare  from  official  duties  to  the  law  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  Smith  &  Knoppen.    In  the  fall  of  1880  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  Hon.  Philip  T.  Colgrove,  which  was  continued  until 
Judge  Smith  was  called  to  the  bench.    The  firm  of  Smith  &  Colgrove  had 
the  largest  practice  in  the  county,  and  was  connected  as  counsel  with 
many  of  the  most  important  cases.     The  practice  of  the  firm  was  botli 
civil  and  criminal.     Among  the  cases  of  greatest  local  interest  and  im- 
portance  may   be   mentioned  The   People   vs.    Carpenter,   charged    with 
murder :  People  vs.   Carveth,  charged  with  wife  poisoning,  in  both  of 
which  Mr.  Smith  was  attorney  for  the  defendant ;  also  People  vs.  ^McKay, 
in  which  he  assisted  the  prosecuting  attorney.     He  was  counsel  for  the 
defense  in  the  celebrated  case  of  the  People  vs.  Strong,  and  secured  the 
acquittal  of  his  client.    Among  the  most  notable  civil  cases  were  Baldwin 
vs.  City  of  Hastings,  in  which  the  rights  of  the  city  to  tax  the  farmers 
for  a  system  of  waterworks  in  the  corporation  was  involved.     Another 
case  was  Mudge  vs.  Board  of  Education,  to  determine  the  right  of  women 
to  vote  at  school  elections  in  the  city,   in  which   he   was  employed   as 
counsel  for  the  plaintiff.    The  case  was  carried  to  the  Supreme  Court  and 
led  to  legislation  securing  the  right  to  women  to  vote  at  school  elections. 
In    1890   he   was   appointed   prosecuting  attorney   to  fill  a   vacancy   oc- 
casioned by  the  death  of  C.  H.  \'an  Arman.    January  3,  1893,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Governor  Rich  as  Judge  of  the  Fifth  Judicial  Circuit.     This 
was  the  first  appointment  made  by  the  Governor.    At  the  election  follow- 
ino-  he  was  elected  for  the  unexpired  portion  of  the  term  and  also  for  the 
full  term  which  expired  December  31,  1899. 

Among  the  important  cases  tried  before  him  as  judge  are  the  Butcher 
murder  case,  from  Eaton  county ;  the  Teft  murder  case  from  Barry 
countv  ;  the  conspiracy  case  of  People  vs.  Rosen  et  al.  Eaton  county  ;  Peo- 


1930  HISTURY  OF  MICHIGAN 

pie  vs.  Scott,  manslaughter,  a  case  growing  out  of  the  wreck  on  the  Grand 
■  Trunk  Railroad  at  Battle  Creek  in  1893.  The  following  estimate  is  from 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Bar  of  Eaton  county : 

"Judge  Smith  has  much  ability  as  a  jurist  and  is  speedily  distinguish- 
ing himself  for  readiness  in  grasping  and  mastering  principles.  He  is 
extremely  courteous  and  kind  to  members  of  the  bar.  Xo  attorney  has 
ever  been  heard  to  complain  of  not  being  allowed  to  state  his  case  fully 
and  fairly  and  try  it  upon  his  own,  theory.  His  great  strength  is  seen 
in  his  quick  decisions  when  once  satisfied  of  the  right.  Many  a  harsh 
rule  of  law  is  set  aside  in  behalf  of  justice  and  conscience  in  his  Chancery 
Court.  He  is  apparently  the  most  interested  person  in  cases  tried  before 
him.  His  circuit  is  the  largest  in  the  state,  consuming  his  entire  time  on 
the  bench ;  but  the  facility  with  which  he  tries  cases  enables  him  to  keep 
well  up  with  the  business  of  the  docket,  although  the  amount  of  litigation 
brought  before  him  is  very  large.  He  has  already  taken  front  rank  as  a 
jurist  in  the  state.  Some  of  the  most  noted  criminal  cases  in  recent  years 
have  been  tried  in  his  court.  A  part  of  his  circuit  is  under  local  option 
law,  which  has  been  fruitful  of  much  litigation.  He  is  a  firm  adherent 
of  the  theor\-  that  all  laws  should  be  impartially  enforced  as  enacted,  and 
he  never  allows  his  personal  opinion  or  feeling  to  manifest  itself  in  the 
disposition  of  cases,  except  that  his  rulings  are  all  tempered  with  hu- 
manity and  sympathy  for  unfortunate  people.  The  good  advice  and  words 
of  encouragement  given  to  such  as  are  convicted  would,  if  followed,  lead 
to  reformation  and  good  citizenship.  Judge  Smith  is  held  in  high  esteem 
by  the  members  of  the  bar,  and  is  well  spoken  of  throughotit  the  state." 

Judge  Smith  has  for  many  years  been  a  Mason,  with  membership  in 
the  Blue  Lodge  and  Chapter  of  Hastings  and  the  Commandery  at  Char- 
lotte. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Uniformed 
Rank  of  that  Order. 

On  May  17,  1871,  Judge  Smith  was  married  to  ]\Iiss  Frances  M. 
\Mieeler,  a  daughter  of  Milo  T.  Wheeler,  who  was  treasurer  of  Barry 
County.  Their  family  consists  of  two  sons  and  a  daughter.  The  elder 
son,  Shirley  W.,  is  a  graduate  in  the  Literar}-  Department  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan,  class  of  1897,  and  at  present  is  the  secretary  of  the 
University  of  Alichigan.  The  daughter  received  her  eductaion  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  and  the  younger  son,  Donald  D.,  is  a  graduate  of 
the  same  university,  class  of  1905,  and  at  present  is  the  consulting  en- 
gineer for  the  Southern  Surety  Company  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where 
he  resides. 

Linn  M.  Cudworth,  M.  D.  Since  1896  Dr.  Cudworth  has  been  in 
the  active  practice  of  his  profession  at  Perry,  in  Shiawassee  cotmty.  Dr. 
Cudworth  acquired  his  education  and  training  for  a  professional  career 
almost  entirely  from  the  means  earned  by  himself,  and  has  advanced  him- 
self to  a  place  of  leadership  in  the  local  medical  fraternity. 

Linn  M.  Cudworth  was  born  at  Bainbridge,  New  York,  February 
23,  1870,  the  only  son  of  John  W.  and  Catherine  Elosia  (]\Iaine)  Cud- 
worth. The  father,  a  native  of  Vermont,  moved  when  a  young  man  to 
Xew  York,  and  is  now  living  at  Cortland,  New  York,  a  jeweler  and  opti- 
cian, and  at  one  time  postmaster  of  the  village  of  Bainbridge.  He  is 
now  sixty-eight  years  of  age.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  Connecticut, 
was  educated  and  married  in  New  York  State,  died  in  Oxford,  New  York, 
in  1893,  at  the  age  of  forty-eight. 

Linn  M.  Cudworth  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  home  town,  fin- 
ished his  literary  course  in  the  Oxford  Academy,  in  1889,  and  took  three 
years  special  work  at  Colgate  University.  His  medical  studies  were  pur- 
sued in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  where  he  was  graduated  M.  D.  in  1896.    In 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  l'J31 

the  same  year  he  came  west  and  located  at  Perry,  and  has  been  in  suc- 
cessful practice  for  the  past  seventeen  years.  In  his  profession  he  be- 
long to  the  County  and  State  Medical  Societies,  and  at  two  different  times 
has  served  his  village  as  president.  In  politics  the  doctor  is  a  Republican, 
is  a  chapter  Mason,  affiliating  with  Corunna  Chapter,  and  was  Master  of 
his  lodge  in  1910.  His  other  affiliations  are  with  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  his  church  is  the  Baptist,  and  he  stands  high  in  both 
social  and  civic  affairs  in  Perry.  Dr.  Cudworth  was  married  at  Perry 
in  1905  to  Miss  Lucy  B.  Snyder,  daughter  of  George  and  Ella  Snyder. 
They  have  a  comfortable  home  in  Perry. 

E.  A.  Robertson.  Now  ranking  as  one  of  the  leading  cities  and  trade 
industries  in  Michigan,  Saginaw  has  been  fortunate  in  the  possession  of 
a  fine  body  of  capable  business  builders  and  leaders,  including  men  of 
ability  and  integrity  to  direct  the  large  enterprises  which  have  given  this 
city  distinction  among  the  larger  centers  of  the  state.  During  the  past 
twenty  years  one  of  these  men  of  enterprise  has  been  Mr.  E.  A.  Robert- 
son, mention  of  whose  name  at  once  brings  up  the  E.  A.  Robertson  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  is  president,  and  which  is  the  largest  firm  of  its  kind 
in  the  state. 

The  position  of  the  E.  A.  Robertson  Company,  in  the  industrial 
activities  of  Saginaw,  and  what  the  firm  represents  in  its  contribution  to 
the  aggregate  of  ^Michigan's  manufacture,  is  well  described  in  a  handsome 
book  entiUed  "Greater  Industrial  and  Commercial  Saginaw,"  published  in 
1912.  The  descriptive  matter  in  that  article,  which  covers  the  ground 
practically  up  to  the  present  writing,  is  repeated  herewith :  "This  is  one 
of  the  most  uniformly  prosperous  of  the  many  important  industries  of 
which  Saginaw  boasts.  This  business  was  established  in  1897,  and  can 
therefore  point  with  pride  to  a  record  of  fifteen  years  of  profitable 
operation.  The  business  is  that  of  making  high-grade  costumes  and  waists 
for  women.  The  beginning  was  made  in  a  small  way,  when  only  ten  ma- 
chines were  used,  and  a  dozen  people  employed.  At  present  the  con- 
cern occupies  an  up-to-date  factory  building,  consisting  of  three  stories, 
and  affording  thirty-two  thousand  four  hundred  square  feet  of  floor 
space.  The  workrooms  are  sanitary,  light  and  convenient,  and  are  amply 
supplied  with  machines  of  the  latest  and  most  modern  patterns  for  the 
rapid  and  perfect  manufacture  of  this  special  line  of  work.  The  operators 
employed,  of  whom  there  are  three  hundred  and  fifty,  are  those  who  have 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  their  individual  tasks.  The  increasing  volume  of 
business  necessitates  the  services  of  six  expert  designers,  who  visit  the 
famous  fashion  centers  of  Europe  annually,  and  have  entree  to  the  estab- 
lishments of  the  leading  masters  of  fashion.  The  costumes,  dresses  and 
waists,  fashioned  by  this  house,  are  eagerly  sought  by  discriminating 
buyers  for  many  of  the  leading  women's  apparel  shops  of  the  best  ship- 
ping centers  of  the  country.  Each  model  produced  in  the  work  rooms 
of  this  concern  carries  the  unmistakable  stamp  of  style,  is  built  on  modish 
lines,  and  bears  a  chic  appearance  that  appeals  to  the  smartly  dressed 
woman  of  refined  tastes.  The  fabrics  used  embracing  silks  of  a  wide 
varietv.  chift'ons,  velvet  and  satins  are  the  choicest  offered  in  both  foreign 
and  domestic  markets.  The  trimmings  are  all  that  the  most  exacting 
could  desire,  and  include  many  importations,  giving  these  garments  an 
individuality  in  design  and  finish,  not  to  be  found  in  the  average  ready-to- 
wear  product.  The  quality  of  the  materials  used  and  the  high  grade  of 
workmanship  in  evidence  has  made  the  products  of  this  concern  widely 
and  most  favorably  known  to  the  trade  in  this  special  line  as  the  yearly 
increasing  volume  of  business  most  positively  testifies.  A  corps  of  seven 
competent  salesmen  represent  the  firm  in  every  state  in  the  Union,  and  in 


1932  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

the  principal  cities  of  Canada,  selling  exclusively  to  dealers  in  high-grade 
wear.  The  E.  A.  Robertson  Company  maintain  a  permanent  oflice  at 
1 182  Broadway,  New  York  City,  where  a  special  force  of  representatives 
meet  the  buyers.  The  otificers  of  the  company  are  E.  A.  Robertson,  presi- 
dent and  treasurer;  E.  L.  Hackstadt,  vice  president;  and  D.  P.  Toole,  sec- 
retary. The  officers  together  with  F.  B.  Gage  form  the  board  of 
directors." 

Edmund  .\rchibald  Robertson,  whose  energy  and  broad  experience  in 
general  clothing  lines  have  been  chiefly  responsible  for  the  up!)uilding  of 
the  Saginaw  industry,  was  born  at  Cupar,  Fife  county,  Scotland,  May  13, 
1866,  a  son  of  John'and  Mary  Anna  (Mitchell)  Robertson.  The  father, 
a  man  of  education,  and  for  many  years  an  office  holder  in  his  county  and 
a  leading  dry  goods  merchant,  retired  after  a  successful  career  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years,  and.  born  in  1832,  is  now  eighty-one  years  of  age,  and 
lives  at  the  town  of  his  birth  in  Scotland.  His  wife  is  also  alive,  and 
they  enjoy  the  peace  and  plenty  worthily  won  by  long  and  well  spent  years. 
Of  their  seven  children  two  "are  deceased,  and  the  others  are:  Jessie, 
wife  of  Alexander  Baird,  of  Winnipeg,  Canada ;  William  Robertson,  man- 
ager of  the  Rat  Portage  Lumber  Company  at  \'ancouver.  British  Colum- 
bia; Edmund  A.:  ^lary,  wife  of  Robert  Brown,  of  Winnipeg;  and  Edith 
Robertson,  who  lives  at  home  with  her  parents. 

Air.  E.  A.  Robertson  as  a  boy  was  trained  in  private  schools,  and 
though  he  passed  the  examinations  for  entrance  to  St.  .Andrews  Uni- 
versity, he  was  turned  aside  from  a  University  career  and  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  began  an  apprenticeship  at  Dundee,  Scotland,  in  a  large  mercantile 
and  export  linen  goods  business.  Those  who  know  how  systematic  is  the 
organization  and  conduct  of  a  Scottish  mercantile  house,  will  readily  un- 
derstand that  Mr.  Robertson's  business  training  was  exceedingly  thor- 
ough, and  when  he  completed  his  apprenticeship,  of  four  years,  he  was 
equipped  with  a  training  in  practically  every  detail.  Then  emigrating  to 
America,  he  located  at  Norwich,  Connecticut,  where  he  entered  the  estab- 
lishment of  Porteous  and  Mitchell,  a  leading  tirm  of  dry  goods  merchants. 

Archibald  Mitchell,  junior  member  of  the  firm,  was  a  first  cousin  of 
E.  .\.  Robertson.  Seven  years  were  spent  with  that  firm  and  in  that 
time  Mr.  Robertson  acquired  a  complete  familiarity  with  trade  conditions 
in  -America.  He  gained  a  broad  knowledge  of  the  technical  departments 
of  dress  goods  manufacture.  In  1S92  the  firm  bought  out  the  business 
of  Bauman  &  Company  at  Saginaw,  Michigan,  and  E.  .A..  Robertson  was 
sent  out  to  take  active  management  of  that  new  branch.  It  was  in  that  way 
he  became  identified  with  Michigan  and  with  Saginaw,  and  has  since  been 
a  permanent  resident  of  this  city.  The  business  when  Mr.  Robertson  came 
to  Saginaw  was  located  on  Michigan  and  Court  Street  West,  was  later 
moved  to  where  the  large  Tanner  Department  Store  stands  in  east  Sag- 
inaw, and  Mr.  Robertson  continued  in  active  charge  of  the  Saginaw  estab- 
lishment for  five  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  was  ready  to  branch 
out  independently,  and  organized  a  company  to  engage  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  shirt  waists.  This  company  comprised  Mr.  Robertson,  Mr.  X. 
Brady,  Charles  Benjamin  and  Paul  Bernhardt.  Since  its  establishment 
the  firm  has  always  gone  under  the  name  of  E.  .\.  Robertson  Company. 
In  the  meantime,  however,  the  three  associates  just  named  have  with- 
drawn, and  the  company  has  been  incorporated  with  the  officers  as  already 
stated. 

Besides  his  position  as  president  of  the  E.  A.  Robertson  Company, 
Mr.  Robertson  has  many  other  large  and  distinctive  interests  in  the  city. 
He  is  a  director  of  the  Bank  of  Saginaw,  and  of  the  Argo  Electric  \'e- 
hicle  Companv.  He  has  a  life  membership  card  in  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  his  politics  is  Republican.  On  October  23, 
1897,  Air.  Robertson  married  Miss  Fannie  Williams,  a  native  of  Saginaw, 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1933 

and  a  daughter  of  \\'illiam,  and  a  granddaughter  of  Gardner  W'ilhams, 
the  latter  having  been  the  original  saw  mill  owner  and  operator  of 
Saginaw,  and  a  pioneer  whose  career  was  closely  identified  with  the  early 
history  of  that  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robertson  have  two  children: 
Harriete  ]\Iitchell  Robertson  and  Anne  Robertson. 

Henry  A.  Haigh.  One  of  the  leading  personal  factors  in  the  held  of 
electric  railway  development  during  recent  years  has  been  Henry  A. 
Haigh  of  Detroit,  who  with  his  associates  has  built  and  operated  many 
miles  of  railway  in  the  state  of  ^lichigan,  and  in  other  localities  of  the 
Union.  From  1878  until  1899,  Mr.  Haigh  was  one  of  the  able  members 
of  the  Detroit  bar,  and  for  many  years  his  name  was  prominent  in 
affairs  of  the  Republican  party  in  Michigan.  Not  only  in  the  field  of  rail- 
way enterprise  has  Mr.  Haigh  contributed  to  the  development  of  the 
country,  but  he  is  also  a  contributor  to  the  literature  of  law,  and  at  least 
two  useful  works  bear  his  name. 

The  Haigh  family  have  been  prominent  in  Alichigan  for  nearly  sev- 
enty years.  In  the  old  "Haigh  Homestead"  at  Dearborn,  near  Detroit, 
Henry  Allyn  Haigh  was  born  March  13,  1854.  His  father  was  the  late 
Richard  Haigh,  Sr.,  who  was  born  at  Wakefield,  Yorkshire,  England, 
May  4,  181 1,  and  in  1825,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  came  to  America,  and 
first  found  employment  in  a  small  shop  in  Xew  York  City,  engaged  in 
the  refinishing  of  woolen  cloth.  In  1827  the  elder  Haigh  was  employed 
by  John  Barrows  and  Son,  woolen  cloth  manufacturers  of  Xew  York 
City,  and  later  in  the  same  line  by  Peter  Schenk  of  Glenham,  Xew  York, 
and  by  Thomas  \\'illiams  &  Son  of  Poughkeepsie,  Xew  York.  In  1835 
he  removed  to  Rochester,  New  York,  and  engaged  with  the  firm  of  E.  & 
H.  Lyon.  In  1837  he  took  charge  of  the  buying  and  sorting  of  wools 
for  the  Waterloo  Woolen  ]\Iills,  at  Waterloo,  New  York.  At  the  same 
place  in  1842  he  embarked  in  the  manufacture  of  linseed  oil,  and  built 
up  a  good  industry  and  one  that  was  profitable  until  the  repeal  of  the 
tariff  protecting  that  industry  in  1846.  His  brother  Henry  was  in  the 
drug  business  at  Detroit,  and  in  1852  Richard  Haigh,  Sr.,  moved  to 
Detroit,  and  bought  the  property  in  the  nearby  village  of  Dearborn,  which 
has  ever  since  been  known  as  the  "Haigh  Homestead."  There  he  lived 
until  his  death,  December  5,  1904.  He  developed  his  lands  and  became 
a  successful  farmer  and  stock  raiser.  His  farm  originally  comprised  three 
hundred  acres.  The  original  fann  house  has  been  improved  and  enlarged 
and  is  now  the  country  home  of  Henry  A.  Haigh,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  The  late  Richard  Haigh  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  Christ 
Church  at  Dearborn,  serving  as  senior  warden  from  its  beginning  in  1866 
until  his  death.  Richard  Haigh,  Sr.,  married  in  1836  ^liss  Bessie  Wil- 
liams, who  died  in  1842,  and  in  1844  he  married  Miss  Lucy  Billings  Allyn 
of  Waterloo,  New  York. 

Henry  A.  Haigh,  who  was  a  child  of  his  father's  second  marriage, 
received  his  early  education  in  the  local  public  schools,  and  was  sent  east 
to  Waterloo,  Xew  York,  for  a  portion  of  his  education.  In  1874  he 
graduated  as  a  Bachelor  of  Science  from  the  Michigan  Agricultural  Col- 
lege. Entering  the  law  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  he 
graduated  LL.  B.  in  1878.  In  the  meantime  he  had  taken  up  the  practical 
duties  of  life,  and  in  1874  and  1875  taught  winter  school  in  Wayne 
county.  In  -March,  1875,  he  was  appointed  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  state 
board  of  health  at  Lansing,  and  served  until  September.  1876.  Soon  after 
his  graduation  in  law  and  admission  to  the  bar  in  Detroit,  he  became 
associated  with  an  old  classmate,  Hon.  William  L.  Carpenter,  who  later 
became  chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  Michigan.  In  1899  he  was 
taken  into  the  law  firm  of  the  late  Col.  John  Atkinson,  the  firm  name 
becoming  Atkinson,   Carpenter,   Brooke  &  Haigh.     In  the  fall  of   1893 


19.S4  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

Mr.  Haigli  became  junior  member  in  the  firm  of  Atkinson  &  Haigh,  that 
relationship  being  continued  until  1896.  For  the  past  fifteen  years  Mr. 
Haigh  has  given  little  attention  to  his  law  practice,  devoting  his  time  and 
ability  to  electric  railway  construction,  to  banking  and  other  interests. 

In  1884  Mr.  Haigh  published  "Haigh's  Manual  of  Law,"  a  compila- 
tion of  laws,  applicable  to  farm  life  and  rural  districts.  This  work  met 
with  an  extended  sale  and  is  still  in  use. 

During  his  earlier  career  Mr.  Haigh  was  an  influential  figure  in  Michi- 
gan State  politics.  In  1887  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  political  organ- 
ization known  as  the  National  Republican  League,  and. in  1892-93  was  the 
Michigan  member  of  the  executive  committee.  In  1888-93  he  interested 
himself  keenly  in  the  afifairs  of  the  ^lichigan  Club,  at  that  time  the  most 
prominent  Republican  organization  of  the  state,  of  which  he  had  been  one 
of  the  founders,  and  of  which  he  was  the  first  secretary  and  later  presi- 
dent. In  1892  Mr.  Haigh  was  presidential  elector  from  Michigan,  and 
was  the  electoral  messenger  who  carried  the  vote  of  Michigan  to  Wash- 
ington. In  1896  he  was  president  of  the  McKinley  Club  and  was  the 
alternate  delegate  at  large  from  Michigan  to  the  national  convention 
in  St.  Louis.  Of  the  Michigan  State  Republican  League,  organized  in 
1888,  Mr.  Haigh  served  as  first  secretary.  Mr.  Haigh's  career  as  a 
promoter  and  builder  of  electric  railways  began  in  1898,  when  he  assisted 
Samuel  F.  Angus  and  James  D.  Hawks  in  securing  rights  for  the  Detroit, 
Ypsilanti,  Ann  Arbor  and  Jackson  Railway.  Later  he  and  Mr.  Angus 
promoted  the  Toledo,  Fremont,  and  Norwalk  Railway  in  Ohio.  He  was 
chosen  treasurer  and  general  ^ceunsel  for  the  company  formed  to  carry 
on  the  project.  The  successful  •completion  of  the  line  was  largely  due 
to  the  organization  of  the  Comstock-Haigh-Walker  Company,  of  which 
Mr.  Haigh  later  became  president.  The  road,  sixty-five  miles  in  length, 
some  years  after  being  completed,  was  sold  to  the  Everett  System  of 
Cleveland,  and  is  now  a  part  of  the  Lake  Shore  Electric  Railway  between 
Cleveland  and  Toledo. 

In  1902  the  Comstock-Haigh-\\'aIker  Company  began  the  construction 
of  the  Rochester  and  Eastern  Railway,  an  electric  system  connecting 
Rochester,  Canandaigua  and  Geneva,  New  York.  In  1905,  after  the  line 
had  been  completed,  it  was  sold  to  the  New  York  Central  Company.  The 
company  next  ventured  into  the  state  of  Wisconsin,  where  it  constructed 
and  still  owns  and  opefates  the  Milwaukee  Northern  Railway,  a  system 
which  connects  and  serves  five  of  the  most  important  and  prosperous 
counties  in  Wisconsin.  For  fifty-eight  miles  the  road  runs  between  Mil- 
waukee and  Sheboygan,  and  another  division  of  forty-two  miles,  not  yet 
completed,  extends  to  F^ond  du  Lac.  Mr.  Haigh  in  1905  became  presi- 
dent of  the  Comstock-Haigh-Walker  Company,  following  the  death  of 
William  B.  Comstock,  and  about  the  same  time  became  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Milwaukee  Northern  Railway  Company,  a  position  still 
held  by  him.  In  1906  he  became  vice  president  and  a  director  in  the 
Detroit,  Ypsilanti,  Ann  Arbor  and  Jackson  Railway  Company,  continu- 
ing tho.se  relations  until  the  road  was  sold  to  the  Detroit  L^nited  Railways. 
With  the  death  of  Andrew  W.  Comstock,  in  April,  1908,  Mr.  Haigh  be- 
came president  and  director  of  the  Cincinnati,  Georgetown  .-tnd  Ports- 
mouth Railway  and  the  Felicity  and  Bethel  Railway,  a  combined  steam 
and  electric  system,  operating  about  seventy  miles  of  line  east  of  Cincin- 
nati.   At  the  present  time  he  is  a  director  in  the  Alpena  Power  Company. 

Among  other  interests  which  have  made  Mr.  Haigh  prominent  in 
financial  and  commercial  afifairs,  should  be  mentioned  the  following:  He 
was  one  of  the  original  subscribers  to  the  stock  of  the  Peninsular  Savings 
Bank  of  Detroit,  and  now  a  director  and  member  of  its  executive  com- 
mittee; he  is  president  of  the  Detroit  Sanitarium;  was  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  the  Continental  Casualty  Company,  now  of  Chicago,  and  the 


fUSJTCIURAlTi 


aJjL^  yTTVV-& 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1935 

second  largest  insurance  company  of  its  kind  in  the  countr_v,  having  for 
some  years  been  one  of  its  directors  and  general  counsel  for  Michigan. 

On  January  i6,  1895,  Mr.  Haigh  married  Miss  Caroline  Comstock, 
daughter  of  the  late  Andrew  W.  Comstock,  a  prominent  lumberman, 
banker  and  vessel  owner  of  Alpena,  Michigan.  They  are  the  parents  of 
two  children :  Andrew  Comstock  Haigh,  a  student  in  the  University 
of  ]\Iichigan,  and  Richard  AUyn  Haigh,  a  student  at  the  Detroit  Univer- 
sity school.  The  home  of  the  family  in  Detroit  is  at  174  Seminole  Avenue. 
From  1901  to  1906  Mr.  Haigh  served  as  a  member  of  the  Michigan  State 
Board  of  Health,  and  also  a  member  of  the  American  Public  Health 
Association.  His  club  and  social  connections  include  membership  in  the 
Michigan  Pioneer  &  Historical  Society;  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce; 
the  Detroit  Club;  The  University  Club  of  Detroit;  the  Country  Club  of 
Grosse  P'ointe,  and  the  Long  Lake  Country  Club.  Mr.  Haigh  is  a 
Mason  and  has  his  membership  in  Oriental  Lodge. 

Charles  H.  Hackley.  Even  the  most  casual  visitor  is  accustomed 
to  associate  the  name  Hackley  with  the  city  of  Muskegon,  since  its 
most  familiar  and  prominent  institutions  bear  the  name  and  to  a  large 
degree  are  the  product  of  the  splendid  philanthropy  of  that  eminent 
lumberman  and  financier.  While  it  is  true  that  the  careers  of  many 
men  enter  into  the  foundation  and  superstructure  of  the  city  of  Mus- 
kegon, it  is  not  disparaging  the  work  of  any  one  to  say  that  the  late 
Charles  H.  Hackley  was  the  foremost  factor  and  influence  in  the  develop- 
ment of  this  west  Michigan  industrial  and  civic  center.  During  the 
early  eighties  Muskegon  was  the  point  of  premier  production  in  the 
lumber  industry  of  the  United  States  and  no  one  man  contributed  more 
to  that  fame  than  Mr.  Hackley.  It  is  the  history  of  many  cities,  depend- 
ent upon  one  natural  resource  such  as  lumber,  mining,  etc.,  that  their 
glory  departs  with  the  exhaustion  of  the  material  which  aflrorded  them 
the  opportunity  to  rise.  It  is  the  distinction  of  Muskegon  that,  with 
the  decline  of  local  lumbering,  other  interests  were  substituted,  and  it 
has  since  gained  renown  as  a  city  of  diversified  industry,  of  splendid 
institutions  and  public  enterprise,  and  in  this  latter  field  to  even  a  greater 
degree  than  in  the  promotion  of  the  lumber  manufacturers  were  the 
business  spirit  and  wealth  of  Mr.  Hackley  displayed  for  the  permanent 
benefit  and  prosperity  of  Muskegon,  and  even  among  those  who  were 
closely  associated  with  and  aided  him  in  this  epoch  of  city  building,  his 
individual  efforts  are  conceded  to  have  accomplished  the  most  substantial 
things  in  assuring  Muskegon's  present  power  and  resources  as  a  city. 

Aside  from  the  great  material  benefit  that  accrued  from  his  career, 
the  life  of  the  late  Charles  H.  Hackley  should  prove  an  inspiration  to 
all  who  read  this  brief  biography.  This  noted  lumberman  and  philanthro- 
pist was  born  at  Michigan  City,  Indiana,  January  3,  1837,  and  died  at 
Muskegon,  February  10.  1905.  For  more  than  half  a  century  liis  life  had 
been  one  of  striking  activity  and  accomplishment.  While  his  birth  was 
unnoted  except  in  his  family  and  the  immediate  community,  his  death  was 
mourned  by  an  entire  city  and  distinguished  tributes  were  paid  him  from 
all  over  the  state.  His  father,  Joseph  H.  Hackley,  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  at  the  south  end  of  Lake  Michigan,  but  when  Charles  was  a  child 
the  family  moved  to  old  Southport,  now  the  city  of  Kenosha,  Wisconsin, 
where  the  boy  received  such  education  as  could  be  obtained  from  public 
schools  in  that  place  and  at  that  time.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  left  school 
and  began  to  support  himself.  In  1856,  a  youth  of  about  nineteen,  he 
worked  his  passage  on  a  schooner  across  Lake  Michigar:  from  Kenosha 
to  Muskegon,  and  at  noon  on  the  day  of  his  arrival,  April  17th,  began 
work  as  a  common  laborer  for  Durkee,  Truesdell  &  Company,  lumber 


1936  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

manufacturers.  The  keen  eagerness  he  showed  in  mastering  the  details 
of  his  work  caused  the  tirm  to  send  him  out  to  the  woods  in  the  following 
fall  as  a  log  scaler,  and  in  the  next  spring  he  was  made  outside  foreman 
of  the  sawmill,  in  charge  of  lumber  sorting.  His  employers  recognized 
the  possibilities  of  the  future  in  this  young  man,  and  on  their  advice  he 
returned  to  Kenosha  in  the  fall  of  1857  and  spent  the  winter  at  a  com- 
mercial college  to  train  himself  in  the  commercial  as  well  as  the  technical 
side  of  lumbering. 

The  spring  of  1858  found  him  in  2\Iuskegon  again  as  bookkeeper 
for  Gideon  Truesdell,  successor  to  the  former  tirm  of  Durkee,  Truesdell 
&  Company.  By  1859  he  acquired  suiificient  experience  to  encourage  him 
to  enter  business  on  his  own  account.  In  the  meantime,  in  1855,  his 
father  had  moved  to  Muskegon,  and  in  1859  the  firm  of  J.  H.  Hackley 
&  Company  was  organized.  They  bought  a  sawmill,  a  year  later  added  an- 
other and  was  soon  among  the  successful  lumbermen  in  that  section  of  the 
state.  The  first  members  of  the  firm  were  J.  H.  Hackley,  Charles  H. 
Hackley  and  Gideon  Truesdell,  and  subsequently  two  other  sons  of  J.  H. 
Hackley  were  associated  with  the  concern,  Edwin  and  Porter  Hackley. 
In  1874  J.  H.  Hackley  died,  and  some  years  later  came  the  death  of  the 
sons  Edwin  and  Porter.  The  firm  of  J.  H.  -Hackley  &  Company  was 
succeeded  by  Hackley  &  Son,  and  that  in  turn  by  C.  H.  Hackley  &  Com- 
pany. 

From  this  independent  enterprise  the  name  of  Charles  H.  Hackley 
in  a  few  years  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  among  the  lumbermen  of 
western  ^lichigan.  In  1866  he  and  James  AIcGordon,  under  the  name 
Hackley  &  McGordon,  purchased  the  "Wing"  mill,  and  ran  it  until  it 
was  burned  some  years  later.  In  1881  Thomas  Hume  bought  the  Mc- 
Gordon  interest  in  the  firm  of  C.  H.  Hackley  &  Company  and  also  in 
the  firm  of  Hackley  &  McGordon  on  the  death  of  AIcGordon.  Thus 
was  founded  the  firm  of  Hackley  &  Hume,  one  destined  to  attain  a  first 
place  among  America's  lumber  manufacturers.  Hackley  &  Hume  con- 
tinued operations  on  the  Aluskegon  river  until  1894,  when  their  tracts 
of  timber  in  that  section  became  exhausted.  The  members  of  the  firm 
had  long  foreseen  the  extinction  of  the  lumber  forests  in  western  Mich- 
igan, and  as  early  as  1886  had  beg^m  buying  timber  in  other  states.  Their 
early  purchases  were  largely  in  Wisconsin,  Minnesota  and  Louisiana, 
and  later  they  acquired  large  tracts  of  timber  land  in  Mississippi,  South 
Carolina,  Florida  and  British  Columbia.  Thus  Mr.  Hackley  continued 
a  large  factor  in  lumber  milling  after  the  IMuskegon  mills  had  been^  shut 
down  and  removed. 

In  1892  ^Ir.  Hackley  and  ]\Ir.  Hume  bought  the  interest  of  S.  B. 
Barker  in  the  Itasca  Lumber  Company  of  ^linneapolis,  which  com])anv 
in  1903  ac(|uired  the  property  and  business  of  H.  C.  Akeley  Lumlier 
Company,  a  concern  tliat  had  been  organized  in  1889  b_\-  Ilacklev  and 
Hume  and  H.  C.  Akeley  and  Freeman  S.  Farr  of  Alinneapolis.  Mr. 
Hackley  was  one  of  the  heaviest  stockholders  in  the  Itasca  Lumber 
Company.  It  would  take  considerable  space  to  simply  enumerate  the  vari- 
ous interests  of  the  late  Mr.  Hackley  in  the  lumber  and  manufacturing 
fields,  and  it  must  suffice  to  say  that  he  was  the  mainstay  of  a  number  of 
Muskegon's  industrial  concerns.  He  was  a  memljer  of  the  Gardner  & 
Lacey  Lumber  Company  of  Georgetown,  South  Carolina,  of  the  J.  S. 
Bennett  Lumber  Comi)any  of  Sandusky.  Ohio,  and  of  the  Hackley  & 
Hume  Company,  Limited. 

Turning  from  his  achievements  in  the  commercial  and  industrial 
field,  it  will  be  especially  appropriate  to  speak  of  the  many  benefactions 
by  which  Mr.  Hackley  endeared  himself  to  the  people  of  Muskegon  for 
all  time.    It  was  in  that  city  that  he  rose  from  the  ranks  of  labor  to  his 


HISTORY  OF  .MICHIGAN  1937 

eminent  position  as  a  capitalist  and  organizer,  and  tliere  his  generosity 
and  philanthropy  have  left  their  most  conspicuous  monument.  His 
contributions  to  the  useful  institutions  and  civic  adornment  of  his  home 
city  include  one  of  the  most  beautiful  soldiers  and  sailors  monuments  to 
be  found  anywhere  in  the  United  States ;  a  public  square  embellished 
with  the  best  work  of  America's  sculptors  and  landscape  gardeners ;  a 
public  library  with  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  thousand  volumes ;  a  manual 
training  school  which  is  the  only  one  of  its  kind  in  the  state;  statues  of 
Lincoln,  Grant,  Sherman,  Farragut,  Kearney  and  McKinley,  the  last 
having  been  the  first  statue  of  the  martyred  president  to  be  erected  in 
the  United  States :  and  also  a  modern  hospital.  While  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  measure  the  value  of  these  benefactions  to  Muskegon  and  her 
people  by  their  original  thought,  it  is  not  inappropriate  to  append  the 
following  summar)'  of  Mr.  Hackley's  various  gifts  made  during  his 
lifetime.  Individually  enumerated  they  were:  Hackley  Public  Library 
(i88S)  $155,000,  and  endowment  (1891)  $75,000;  Hackley  Manual 
Training  School  and  Gymnasium  (1895-1900)  $200,000,  endowment 
( ic)02)  $400,000,  and  additional  funds  for  the  maintenance  of  the  school 
from  its  opening  in  1896,  $50,000;  Hackley  Park  and  endowment  ( 1890) 
$60.000 ;  Soldiers  and  Sailors  Monument  ( 1889 )  $27.000 ;  statues  of 
Lincoln,  Grant,  Sherman  and  Farragut  (1898)  $26,000;,  statue  of  Phil 
Kearney  (  igot  )  $5,000;  statue  of  William  McKinley  (1902)  $15,000; 
Home  of  the  Friendless,  endowment  (1902)  $25,000;  Hackley  Hospital 
and  endowment  (1902)  $340,000;  Athletic  Field  for  High  School  (1902) 
$5,000;  First  Congregational  Church,  debt,  $6,525.  This  makes  a  grand 
total  of  $1,389,525. 

At  his  death  Mr.  Hackley  left  an  estate  estimated  at  $9,000,000,  and 
his  will  contained  additional  specific  beciuests  aggregating  $775,000;  these 
include  additional  endowment  for  the  Hackley  Manual  Training  School 
amounting  to  $210,000;  additional  endowment  for  the  Hackley  Hospital, 
$200,000;  additional  endowment  for  the  Hackley  Public  Library,  $200,- 
000;  fund  for  the  purchase  of  pictures  of  the  Hackley  Library,  $150,000; 
and  a  bequest  to  the  Muskegon  Humane  Union,  $15,000.  These  sums 
designated  in  the  will  increased  the  total  of  Mr.  Hackley's  direct  gifts 
to  the  people  of  Muskegon  to  the  splendid  sum  of  $2,164,525.  At  the 
death  of  Mrs.  Hackley  a  sum  aggregating  $2,000,000  became  a  trust  fund, 
income  to  be  applied  perpetually  to  the  maintenance  and  enlargement  of 
the  Hackley  Public  Library,  the  Hackley  Manual  Training  School  and 
to  other  charitable  purposes.  Thus,  speaking  in  terms  of  figures  and 
material  means  and  without  attempting  to  estimate  the  broad  and  lienefi- 
cent  results  that  have  already  issued  from  the  career  of  Mr.  Hackley  and 
will  continue  a  forceful  stream  of  benevolence  for  all  time,  the  total  sum 
that  has  so  far  been  placed  at  the  disposal  of  Muskegon's  institutions  is 
more  than  four  milllions  of  dollars.  Many  thousands  of  people  who 
never  knew  Mr.  Hackley  in  his  lifetime,  have  proved  their  gratitude  to 
him  by  use  and  enjoyment  of  his  benevolences,  and  the  influence  of  his 
career  is  beyond  all  human  computation. 

The  late  iMr.  Hackley  was  married  in  1864  to  Julia  E.  IMoore  of 
Centreville,  New  York.  They  had  no  children  of  their  own.  but  adopted 
and  reared  two  in  their  home.  It  was  through  his  business  that  Air. 
Hackley  best  served  the  public,  yet  at  the  same  time  he  was  not  without 
a  share  in  the  public  distinction  which  naturally  comes  to  a  man  of  his 
standing,  though  he  was  always  averse  to  oflicial  preferment  and  accepted 
ofifice  only  from  a  sense  of  obligation  to  party  or  community.  He  was  an 
active  Republican,  and  in  T874  served  as  treasurer  of  Muskeeon  county, 
and  in  the  city  of  Muskegon  was  an  aldennan  and  a  member  of  the 
board  of  public  works,  and  also  for  many  years  on  the  board  of  educa- 


1938  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

tion,  having  been  its  president  from  1892  until  his  death  in  1905.  He 
was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  National  Convention  at  Minneapolis 
in  1892,  and  to  that  in  St.  Louis  in  1896.  In  1894  Mr.  Hackley  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  regents  of  the  University  of  Michigan, 
but  on  account  of  his  ill  health  resigned  on  the  day  his  term  of  office 
began. 

Thomas  Hume.  A  Michigan  lumberman  whose  name  is  one  of  the 
best  known  in  that  industry  in  the  state,  Thomas  Hume  was  an  Irish  boy 
who  sought  his  opportunities  in  America,  finding  work  in  the  lumber 
woods  of  western  Michigan,  and  in  a  few  years  rose  through  the  succes- 
sive grades  of  service  and  became  an  independent  operator. 

Thomas  Hume  was  born  in  County  Down,  Ireland,  June  15,  1848. 
His  parents  were  William  and  Mary  Ann  (Bailie)  Hume,  farming  people 
who  reared  a  family  of  eight  children,  four  of  whom  were  sons.  Thomas 
Hume  was  the  oldest  son  and  the  second  child.  As  a  boy  he  attended 
the  Royal  Belfast  Academical  Institution  of  Belfast,  and  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  was  apprenticed  to  the  wholesale  and  retail  firm  of  John  Steven- 
son, dealers  in  hardware  and  groceries  at  Dungannon.  This  apprentice- 
ship was  for  a  term  of  six  years,  and  no  salary  was  attached  to  it  except 
his  keep.  At  the  end  of  two  years  he  was  put  in  the  office  of  cashier, 
and  later  became  buyer  and  stock  keeper.  When  his  apprenticeship  was 
finished  he  continued  with  the  finn  until  his  emigration  to  America,  his 
salary  ranging  from  $125  to  $300  a  year,  besides  board  and  lodging. 
Some  young  men  might  have  been  satisfied  with  the  prospects  ahead 
of  him,  but  Mr.  Hume  could  not  see  it  that  way.  In  May,  1870, 
he  took  passage  for  America,  and  was  landed  at  Quebec  on  the 
seventeenth  day  of  the  same  month.  Some  relatives  lived  in  Marshall, 
Michigan,  and  he  made  his  way  to  that  city.  Their  advice  and  in- 
formation that  men  were  needed  at  Muskegon  brought  him  to  the 
city  which  has  ever  since  been  his  home  and  business  headquarters. 
His  first  work  was  as  a  tallyman  for  George  R.  Selkirk.  In  the 
fall  of  the  same  year  he  went  into  the  woods,  and  scaled  logs  for  O.  P. 
Pillsbury  and  Company.  The  next  summer  was  spent  with  the  firm  of 
Montague  and  Hamilton,  lumber  inspectors  of  Muskegon,  and  his  work 
was  that  of  inspector.  In  the  fall  of  1872,  he  entered  the  firm  of  Hackley 
and  IMcGordon  as  bookkeeper.  At  that  time  it  may  be  said  that  his  real 
upward  progress  began.  His  services  were  with  Hackley  &  McGordon 
for  nearly  nine  years,  until  June  1881.  At  that  time  he  and  C.  H.  Hack- 
ley  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  McGordon  in  the  two  fimis  of  Hackley 
&  McGordon  and  C.  H.  Hackley  &  Company.  The  firm  of  Hackley  & 
Hume  then  succeeded  the  first  named  firm  and  on  the  death  of  Porter 
Plackley  of  C.  H.  Hackley  &  Company,  the  business  of  both  houses 
was  consolidated  under  the  name  of  Hackley  &  Hume.  That  firm  name 
for  twenty-five  years  or  more  has  had  a  reputation  second  to  none  in 
the  country,  and  is  still  in  existence,  though  the  business  is  now  being 
closed  up.  Their  interests  at  one  time  embraced  the  ownership  of  three 
hundred  thousand  acres  of  southern  timber  land,  located  in  the  states 
of  Arkansas,  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  and  South  Carolina,  in  addition 
to  the  large  manufacturing  plant  at  Muskegon.  They  are  also  large 
stock  holders  in  the  Itasca  Lumber  Company  of  Minneapolis.  In  this 
company  and  among  many  others,  Mr.  Hume  has  held  various  offices. 
At  the  present  time  he  is  president  of  the  Itasca  Lumber  Company,  is 
president  of  the  Amazon  Knitting  Company,  president  of  the  Chase- 
Hackley  Piano  Company,  treasurer  of  the  Standard  Malleable  Iron  Com- 
pany, president  of  the  Alaska  Refrigerator  Company,  president  of  the 
Sargent  ^Manufacturing  Company,  vice  president  of  the  Shaw  Electric 


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HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1939 

Crane  Company,  vice  president  of  the  National  Lumbermen's  Bank  and 
president  of  the  Hackley  National  Bank  of  Muskegon.  Mr.  Charles  H. 
Hackley,  his  partner,  died  February  lo,  1905,  and  Mr.  Hume  is  one  of 
the  e.xecutors  of  the  Hackley  estate,  and  is  still  engaged  in  winding  up 
the  business  of  the  firm  of  Hackley  &  Hume.  At  this  writing  Mr.  Hume 
is  also  president  of  the  Hume-Bennett  Lumber  Company,  whose  opera- 
tions are  carried  on  in  the  state  of  California,  where  they  have  large 
tracts  of  timber  in  Fresno  county.  His  sons,  Thomas  H.  and  George  A., 
are  both  associated  with  him  in  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Thomas 
Hume  &  Company.  His  son  George  A.  Hume  and  George  Hefferan  of 
Grand  Rapids  are  also  associated  with  Thomas  Hume  under  the  name, 
Hume,  Hefferan  &  Company,  and  under  this  title  are  transacting  a  big 
business  in  timber  lands  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Hume  married  at  Marshall,  Michigan,  June  22,  1873,  Miss 
Margaret  A.  Banks,  a  daughter  of  Major  Banks  of  that  city.  To  their 
union  have  been  born  seven  children,  namely:  Margaret  B.;  Helen  M. ; 
Annie  E.,  deceased ;  George  Alexander ;  Florence  V. ;  Constance ;  and 
Thomas  Hackley.  Mr.  Hume  is  a  vestryman  in  St.  Paul's  Episcopal 
church  at  Muskegon,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican. 

Albert  R.  Schneider.  The  building  trades  have  developed  many 
special  departments  of  labor,  and  some  of  the  business  organizations 
representing  the  highest  trained  efficiency,  equipment  and  working  staff 
and  capital  have  been  built  up  to  supply  a  service  for  each  one  of  these 
departments.  The  Schneider  Bros,  of  Detroit,  of  which  Albert  R. 
Schneider  is  the  head,  specialize  in  plastering  and  all  kinds  of  interior  and 
exterior  decorating  work,  and  as  contractors  in  this  line  are  one  of  the 
largest  firms  in  the  state  and  have  almost  unlimited  experience,  resources 
and  labor  to  perform  any  contract  of  any  magnitu'de  of  this  kind. 

Albert  R.  Schneider  is  a  native  of  Detroit,  born  February  28,  1877. 
His  parents  are  Charles  G.  and  Mary  L.  (Holsworth)  Schneider.  His 
father  a  native  of  2ilichigan  and  his  mother  in  Ohio.  The  business  of  his 
father  has  always  been  in  the  handling  and  expert  management  of  the 
horses  for  various  large  firms,  and  for  some  time  the  family  lived  in  the 
lumber  regions  of  [Michigan,  where  he  had  charge  of  all  the  horses  used 
by  the  lumber  company  in  its  various  departments.  Both  parents  are  still 
living  at  Detroit. 

Albert  R.  Schneider  after  leaving  Detroit  public  schools  began  an 
apprenticeship  at  the  plasterer's  trade,  and  altogether  spent  eleven  years  as 
apprentice,  journeyman  and  occasionally  an  independent  worker  in  differ- 
ent cities  of  the  country.  In  1905  Mr.  Schneider  began  contracting  under 
his  own  name  at  Detroit,  and  a  few  years  later  became  junior  member  of 
the  contracting  firm  of  .\ustin  &  Schneider.  Two  years  later  ^Ir.  Austin 
left  the  firm,  and  for  the  following  year  Mr.  Schneider  continued  the 
business  again  under  his  own  name,  and  then  established  Schneider  Bros, 
by  admitting  his  younger  brother.  C.  W.  Schneider. 

Schneider  Bros,  take  all  kinds  of  contracts  for  interior  and  exterior, 
plain  and  ornamental  plastering,  and  some  of  the  large  contracts  executed 
since  Mr.  Schneider  began  an  independent  business  are  the  following: 
Elliott,  Taylor  &  Wolfenden  Company's  department  store  on  Woodward 
avenue ;  the  Owen  building  at  Gratiot  and  Brush ;  the  Telegraph  building 
at  Congress  and  Shelby :  the  Dodge  Bros,  plant,  and  many  other  contracts 
worth  thousands  of  dollars  in  and  about  Detroit. 

Mr.  A.  R.  Schneider  is  a  member  and  for  1914  on  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  Detroit  Builders  and  Traders  Exchange,  belongs  to  the 
National  Union,  is  a  member  of  the  Master  Plasterers  Association,  of 
which  he  is  treasurer  and  a  delegate  from  that  association,  and  a  member 


1940  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

of  the  executive  board  of  the  Builders  and  Traders  Exchange.  He  has 
been  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the  Detroit  Exchange  for  several  years. 
His  church  is  the  Presbyterian. 

At  one  time  ^Ir.  Schneider  was  a  member  of  the  old  Scott  Guards, 
and  at  the  same  time  was  captain  of  an  independent  military  company. 
He  was  in  a  volunteer  regiment  about  the  beginning  of  the  Spanish- 
American  war  and  then  became  a  regular  as  member  of  Company  B  of 
the  Nineteenth  Regiment  of  United  States  Infantry,  enlisting  at  Fort 
Wayne  at  the  beginning  of  the  war.  He  saw  service  on  the  islands  of 
Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  and  after  his  discharge  resumed  business  activities 
in  Detroit.  Mr.  Schneider  married  Mabel  Irene  Corston  of  Detroit, 
daughter  of  the  late  Charles  Corston,  a  painter  and  decorator.  Their 
children  are :    Gloria  and  Truman  Hendrie  Schneider. 

G.  G.  Goodrich.  One  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  business  men  of 
St.  Charles,  where  he  has  been  identitied  with  the  jewelry  trade  for 
nearly  forty  years  and  has  held  all  the  important  local  positions  of  trust 
and  responsibilities,  Mr.  Goodrich  is  a  successful  example  of  the  self- 
made  man.  When  he  was  twelve  years  old  he  was  thrown  on  his  own 
resources  and  was  employed  at  any  honest  labor  that  he  could  find  until 
he  could  get  his  real  start  in  life. 

His  birth  occurred  in  New  York  City,  October  i6,  1847,  and  he  is 
the  only  survivor  and  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  eight  children  whose  par- 
ents were  E.  A.  and  Aiigeline  (Lloyd)  Goodrich.  The  father,  also  a 
native  of  New  York,  was  descended  from  a  family  that  came  from  Wales, 
and  one  of  his  ancestors  fought  on  the  American  side  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  The  father  .became  an  expert  cabinet  maker  and  furniture  manu- 
facturer, and  from  New  York  City  moved  to  Washington  county,  New 
York,  where  he  died  in  1856  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  The  mother, 
also  of  English  descent,  was  born  in  New  York  State,  and  died  in  New 
York  City  in  1847,  soon  after  the  birth  of  her  last  child,  the  St.  Charles 
business  man.  The  latter  was  able  to  attend  school  in  New  York  City 
only  until  he  was  about  twelve  years  of  age  and  then  went  to  work  in  a 
store.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  began  learning  the  jeweler's  trade,  and 
his  apprenticeship  was  interrupted  by  his  service  as  a  Union  soldier.  He 
went  out  in  1864  with  the  Twelfth  New  Jersey  Infantry,  in  Company  D 
and  was  a  fighter  in  the  ranks  for  fourteen  months.  After  his  honorable 
discharge  he  returned  home  and  finished  his  apprenticeship  at  the  jew- 
eler's and  watchmaker's  trade.  In  1875  ^^r.  Goodrich  located  at  St. 
Charles,  Michigan,  where  he  established  himself  in  business  and  his  jew- 
elry store  is  the  oldest  and  most  popular  establishment  of  its  kind  in  that 
village.  During  his  residence  there  his  fellow  citizens  have  honored  him 
with  many  positions  in  the  \illage,  and  he  has  served  as  president,  clerk, 
supervisor  and  many  other  positions.  Mr.  Goodrich  is  a  Mason  and  a 
I\Iaccabee,  and  in  religion  worships  with  the  Episcopal  faith. 

At  Bay  City,  Alichigan,  on  June  30,  1875,  occurred  his  marriage  with 
Miss  Dora  Bla'ckman.  She  died  at  St.  Charles  in  1901.  Her  father  was 
Horace  Blackman.  To  the  marriage  were  born  three  children  as  follows : 
!Mrs.  Lizzie  Rowley,  who  was  born  at  St.  Charles,  and  is  the  mother  of 
two  children,  Florence  and  William.  Fred  E.  Goodrich,  born  at  St. 
Charles,  and  now  in  partnership  with  his  father,  has  one  child,  John  B. 
Mrs.  Angle  McEwen,  born  at  St.  Charles,  where  she  still  lives,  has  one 
child,  Ellen  ^McEwen. 

Ch.vrles  Cl.vrk  HorKiNS.  Flaving  the  distinction  of  being  the  first 
and  only  clerk  as  now  constituted  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Michigan, 
Charles  Clark  Hopkins  has  also  the  remarkable  record  of  having  served 
in  this  capacity  for  a  period  of  more  than  thirty-two  years,  and  there  is, 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1911 

probably,  no  better  known  figure  in  legal  circles  of  the  state  today.  Edu- 
cated for  the  legal  profession,  he  served  in  several  offices  until  his  appoint- 
ment to  his  present  position  in  1882,  and  since  that  time  has  devoted  him- 
self to  the  duties  of  his  office,  his  record  being  one  that  in  years  to  come 
will  be  found  hard  to  equal. 

Air.  Hopkins  was  born  on  his  father's  farm  in  White  Lake  town- 
ship, Oakland  county,  Michigan,  April  4,  1849,  ^^d  is  a  son  of  the  late 
Erastus  and  Climene  (Clark)  Hopkins,  early  Michigan  pioneers.  Mr. 
Hopkins'  ancestors  came  from  Coventry,  England,  where  the  family  was 
prominent,  one  member,  William  Hopkins,  Jr.,  having  been  mayor  of 
Coventry  in  1564,  while  his  brothers,  Richard  and  Nicholas,  were  sher- 
iffis  of  the  same  town  in  1554  and  1 56 1,  respectively.  Richard  had  two 
sons:  Sampson,  his  heir,  and  \\'illiam,  proprietor  of  the  lordship  of 
Shortley.  Sampson,  who  was  mayor  in  1609,  had  three  sons:  Sir  Rich- 
ard, Sir  William  and  Sampson,  the  last-named  of  whom  was  mayor  o£ 
Coventry  in  1640.  The  eldest  of  these  three  sons  became  eminent  at  the 
bar,  attained  the  rank  of  Sergeant  at  Law,  was  steward  of  Coventry,  and 
represented  the  city  in  the  Parliament  at  the  Restoration.  Their  estates, 
by  inter-marriage,  passed  to  General  Northey  in  1799.  and  he  assumed 
the  surname  of  Hopkins  and  arms  of  the  family  upon  inheriting  the  estates 
of  his  maternal  ancestor,  and  was  known  as  Northey  Hopkins,  of  Oving 
House. 

The  early  Hopkinses  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  in  Connecticut 
colony.  One  of  this  family,  John  Hopkins,  progenitor  of  the  line  of 
Charles  Clark  Hopkins,  came  to  America  in  1634  and  settled  iirst  at 
Cambridge.  From  that  point  he  removed  to  the  new  colony  of  Hart- 
ford and  the  colonial  records  tell  of  John  Hopkins  being  the  original 
owner  of  lands  then  settled.  The  line  of  descent  from  John  Hopkins  to 
Erastus,  father  of  Charles  Clark  Hopkins,  is  as  follows:  John  Hop- 
kins, who  was  made  a  freeman  of  Cambridge,  March  4.,  1635,  removed  to 
Hartford  the  same  year  and  died  in  1654,  leaving  a  widow  and  two  chil- 
dren, one  of  whom,  Stephen,  born  in  1634,  married  Dorcas,  a  daughter  of 
John  Bronson.  He  died  in  October,  1689,  leaving  six  children.  His 
eldest  son,  John,  had  eight  children,  one  of  whom,  Samuel,  .was  a  graduate 
of  Yale  in  1718,  and  for  some  time  a  minister  of  West  Springfield,  Massa- 
chusetts. Another  son,  Timothy,  was  the  father  of  Samuel  Hopkins,  the 
celebrated  divine  who  founded  the  Hopkinsian  School  of  Theology  and 
was  the  author  of  several  well-known  works  and  a  prominent  character 
in  ?^Irs.  Stowe's  "Minister's  Wooing."  President  Alark  Hopkins,  of  Wil- 
liams College,  was  of  the  same  family.  Another  son  was  Consider,  who 
died  in  177V1,  leaving  a  family  of  five  children.  One  of  the  sons,  Con- 
sider, Jr.,  was  born  at  West  Hartford,  in  June,  1723,  served  in  the  Con- 
tinental armv,  and  died  in  Saratoga  county.  New  York,  in  1795.  He  was 
the  father  of  Mark  Hopkins,  the  grandfather  of  Charles  Clark  Hopkins. 
Three  uncles  of  Mark  Hopkins  were  in  the  Continental  army.  One  was 
captured  liy  the  British  and  was  starved  to  death  on  the  Jersey  Prison 
Ship,  in  New  York  harbor,  and  another  was  killed  by  Tory  "Cow  Boys" 
while  home  on  furlough. 

Erastus  Hopkins,  the  father  of  Charles  Clark  Hopkins,  was  born  at 
Paris,  Oneida  county,  New  York,  August  16,  1804,  and  came  from  Steu- 
ben county.  New  York,  to  iVIichigan  in  1833,  located  land  in  Oakland 
county,  and  in  1834  brought  his  family  out,  making  the  entire  journey 
in  an' immigrant  wagon.  He  cleared  a  farm  in  the  wilderness  and  lived 
to  see  the  entire  countrv  around  settled,  remaining  upon  the  farm  until 
his  death  in  1876.  His  first  wife  was  Lydia  Parker,  whom  he  married  in 
Oneida  county.  New  York,  and  who  lived  only  a  year  and  one-half  after 
the  family  came  to  Michigan.  There  were  five  sons  born  to  this  marriage, 
two  of  whom  died  in  infancy  and  the  remaining  three  were  William  \\'., 


1942  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

Ralph  \\'.,  and  Dan  G.  \\  illiam  \V.,  and  Dan  G.,  served  in  the  Civil  war, 
the  last-named  being  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  South  Mountain, 
Maryland.  The  second  marriage  of  Erastus  Hopkins  was  to  Climene 
Clark,  who  died  in  1864,  leaving  three  children,  George  H.,  Lydia  C.  and 
Charles  Clark. 

Charles  Clark  Hopkins  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  attended  the 
district  schools  during  his  youth.  In  1867  he  entered  the  State  Normal 
school,  spending  a  portion  of  his  time  on  the  farm  and  a  part  in  teach- 
ing, and  graduated  in  the  class  of  1872,  at  once  becoming  principal  of  the 
Rockland  (Michigan)  Union  School,  where  he  remained  two  years.  The 
summer  vacation  of  1873  was  spent  in  surveying  a  section  of  the  United 
States  militarv  road  from  Fort  Howard,  Green  Bay,  to  Fort  W'ilkins, 
Copper  Harbor.  In  the  fall  of  1874  Air.  Hopkins  entered  the  law  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  [Michigan,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1876, 
and  during  the  legislative  session  of  1875  was  clerk  of  the  house  judiciary 
committee,  and  in  1877  clerk  of  the  senate  judiciary  committee.  In  1879 
and  again  in  1881  he  was  assistant  secretary  of  the  senate.  In  the  mean- 
time, in  1876,  Mr.  Hopkins  had  been  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  calling  at  Detroit  until  January,  1882,  when, 
the  Supreme  Court  having  been  empowered  by  the  adoption  of  a  con- 
stitutional amendment  to  appoint  its  own  clerk,  Mr.  Hopkins  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  position,  which  he  has  continued  to  fill  to  the  present  time, 
as  before  stated. 

In  1880  Mr.  Hopkins  married  Clara  J.  Potter,  who  was  born  at  En- 
field, jMassachusetts,  daughter  of  Nathan  D.  and  Mary  (Clark)  Potter. 
Mrs.  Hopkins  was  graduated  from  Abbott  Academy,  Andover,  Massa- 
chusetts, class  of  1878.  To  Mr.  and  Airs.  Hopkins  the  following  children 
have  been  born:  Edward  Potter,  born  September  21,  1881,  graduated 
from  the  University  of  Michigan,  class  of  1903,  with  Bachelor  of  Arts 
degree,  now  holding  the  position  of  state  bank  examiner  of  Alichigan. 
with  residence  at  Charlotte;  George  Hayes,  born  September  11,  1884, 
graduated  from  the  University  of  Alichigan,  class  of  1907,  with  Bachelor 
of  Sciences  degree,  taking  special  work  in  marine  engineering:  Charles 
C,  Jr.  who  died  aged  one  and  one-half  years :  and  Carroll  Lyman,  born 
December  23,  1892,  graduated  from  Amherst  College  in  1913.  with  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  Air.  Hopkins  is  a  member  of  the  Phi  Delta 
Phj.  the  Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution  and  of  the 
University  Club,  of  Detroit. 

Fred.  H.  Pr.\tt.  The  legal  profession  in  Grand  Traverse  county  has 
as  one  of  its  representative  members  Fred.  Howard  Pratt,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  successful  practice  at  Traverse  City,  the  judicial  center  and 
fair  metropolis  of  the  county,  and  whose  ability  and  personal  popularity 
is  attested  by  the  fact  that  he  served  ten  consecutive  years  as  prosecuting 
attorney  of  the  county,  a  record  that  has  had  no  parallel  in  the  history 
of  the  county.  Further  interest  attaches  to  his  career  by  reason  of  his 
being  a  scion,  in  the  third  generation,  of  a  family  that  was  founded  in 
Alichigan  three  vears  prior  to  its  admission  to  statehood,  and  the  name 
has  thus  been  worthily  linked  with  the  annals  of  this  commonwealth  since 
the  territorial  davs.  In  addition  to  controlling  a  substantial  professional 
Inisiness  Air.  Pratt  has  wielded  much  influence  in  progressive  enterprise 
as  a  dealer  in  real  estate,  and  he  has  also  an  excellent  business  as  an  in- 
surance underwriter. 

Air.  Pratt  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  farm  of  his  father,  in  E|eer- 
field  township.  Livingston  countv.  Alichigan.  and  the  date  of  his  nativity 
was  Alav  18,  1868.  He  is  a  son  of  James  Allen  Pratt  and  Elizabeth  ( AIc- 
Kane)  Pratt,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Livingston  county,  this 
State,  on  the  isth  of  September,  1841,  and  the  latter  of  whom  was  born 


HISTORY  OF  AIICHIGAN  1943 

in  Ireland,  on  the  i8th  of  February,  1843.  The  paternal  grandparents, 
James  and  Clarissa  (Thompson)  Pratt,  came  from  the  State  of  New 
York  to  Michigan  in  1834,  and  first  settled  on  a  tract  of  wild  land  in 
Washtenaw  county.  After  perfecting  his  title  to  this  property  James 
Pratt  sold  the  same  and  in  1837,  the  year  that  marked  the  admission  of 
Michigan  as  one  of  the  sovereign  States  of  the  Union,  he  entered  claim 
to  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Livingston  county,  where  he  reclaimed  from 
the  virgin  forest  a  productive  farm  and  where  both  he  and  his  wife  passed 
the  residue  of  their  lives,  honored  as  sterling  pioneers  of  the  State.  The 
subject  of  this  review  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  farm  of  his  grand- 
father, and  the  place  is  endeared  to  him  by  many  hallowed  memories  and 
associations.  James  A.  Pratt  was  reared  to  manhood  in  Livingston  county, 
under  the  conditions  and  influences  of  the  pioneer  days,  and  there  his  early 
educational  privileges  were  those  afforded  in  the  somewhat  primitive 
schools  of  the  period.  In  his  natixe  county  he  was  actively  identified 
with  the  great  basic  industry  of  agriculture  during  the  entire  course  of  his 
active  career,  and  on  his  farm  he  also  conducted  for  many  years  a  pop- 
ular wayside  tavern,  the  locality  Ijeing  known  as  Pratt's  Corners.  He 
became  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  and  influential  citizens  of  Living- 
ston county,  was  a  staunch  adherent  and  active  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  was  called  upon  to  serve  in  various  township  offices.  He 
passed  the  closing  years  of  his  life  in  the  village  of  Fenton,  Livingston 
county,  where  he  died  on  the  9th  of  June,  1907,  and  where  his  memory  is 
held  in  lasting  honor  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  widow  now  resides  with 
her  only  daughter,  in  the  city  of  Los  Angeles,  California,  but,  though 
venerable  in  years,  she  comes  each  summer  to  Michigan,  to  pass  the  sea- 
son with  her  two  sons  and  to  renew  the  tender  associations  of  past  years, 
for  she  likewise  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  early  pioneer  fam- 
ilies of  this  State.  Of  the  three  children  the  eldest  is  Edwin,  who  is  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  the  general  merchandise  business  at  East  Cohoctah, 
Livingston  county ;  Fred.  H.  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  ;  and  Clara- 
bell  is  the  wife  of  John  Adams,  of  Los  Angeles.  California. 

Fred.  H.  Pratt  acquired  his  preliminary  educational  discipline  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  village  of  Fenton,  and  in  preparing  for  the  work  of 
his  chosen  profession  he  located  in  Traverse  City,  where  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  and  under  the  preceptorship  of  the  well  known 
and  prominent  firm  of  Pratt  &  Davis,  his  uncle,  the  late  Edwin  S.  Pratt 
having  been  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  and  Harry  C.  Davis  the 
junior  member.  Under  these  conditions  Mr.  Pratt  continued  his  tech- 
nical reading  until  he  entered  the  law  department  of  the  University  of 
Michigan,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1895 
and  from  which  he  received  his  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  He  was 
forthwith  admitted  to  the  bar  of  his  native  State  and  he  initiated  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  as  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Pratt  &-  Davis,  in 
Traverse  City,  his  honored  preceptors  continuing  their  alliance  with  him 
until  the  death  of  his  uncle,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  in  June,  191 1, 
since  which  time  he  has  conducted  an  individual  practice  of  representative 
order.  Mr.  Pratt  has  appeared  in  connection  with  much  important  litiga- 
tion in  Grand  Traverse  county,  both  in  private  practice  and  while  repre- 
senting the  county  as  its  prosecuting  attorney.  .\s  previously  stated,  he 
conducts  also  a  profitable  real-estate  and  insurance  business,  and  his  real- 
estate  dealings  are  largely  confined  to  the  handling  of  his  own  properties. 
He  is  the  owner  of  several  farms  in  Grand  Traverse  county,  as  well  as 
valuable  business  and  residence  property  in  Traverse  City,  where  his  own 
residence  is  one  of  the  attractive  homes  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Pratt  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Traverse  County  Bar  Associa- 
tion and  in  politics  he  has  given  veoman  service  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of 
the  Republican  party.    He  served  two  temis  as  circuit-court  commissioner 


1944  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

of  his  county  and  live  successive  terms  as  prosecuting  attorney,  tliis  de- 
cade of  consecutive  incumbency  of  this  important  office  having,  as  already 
intimated,  broken  all  records  in  connection  with  the  history  of  the  posi- 
tion in  the  county,  both  before  and  since  his  retirement,  after  having 
made  a  record  that  indicated  fully  his  fine  professional  ability  and  that 
proved  of  great  benefit  to  the  county.  Mr.  Pratt  is  a  Knight  Templar 
-Mason  and  is  affiliated  also  with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Knights  of  the  Modern  Maccabees  and 
the  Independent  Order  of  Foresters.  His  chief  diversion  is  in  the  driving 
of  standard-bred  horses,  and  h€  is  the  owner  of  several  fine  specimens  at 
the  present  time,  the  while  he  finds  special  pleasure  in  attending  the  well 
ordered  racing  events  in  his  home  county  and  other  parts  of  the  State. 

At  Fenton,  Livingston  county,  on  the  27th  of  June,  1900,  was  solem- 
nized the  marriage  of  ]\Ir.  Pratt  to  Miss  Rose  U.  Leonard,  a  schoolmate 
and  friend  of  his  youth.  She  was  born  and  reared  at  Fenton  and  is  a 
woman  of  culture' and  most  gracious  personality — a  popular  factor  in 
the  leading  social  activities  of  Traverse  City,  where  she  is  a  popular  mem- 
ber of  the  Library  Club  and  the  Woman's  Club.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt 
have  one  son,  Leonard  Allen,  who  was  born  on  the  23rd  of  January, 
igo2. 

P.\UL  L.  GuGEL.  Every  communitv  has  its  men  of  leadership,  those 
who  have  won  the  honors  and  responsibilities  which  go  with  success.  In 
tlie  thriving  village  of  Frankenmuth  two  such  men  are  the  Gugel  brothers, 
George  Frederick  and  Paul  L.,  dealers  in  general  merchandise,  dry  goods, 
clothing,  boots  and  shoes,  furniture,  hardware,  a  meat  market,  and  other 
lines.  Their  joint  business,  established  in  1888,  has  completed  its  quar- 
ter century  of  prosperous  existence,  is  the  largest  concern  of  its  kind  in 
Frankenmuth  and  vicinity,  and  is  distinctly  creditable  to  the  abihty  and 
enterprise  that  created  it. 

Paul  L.  Gugel  was  born  in  Frankenmuth  township  of  Saginaw  county, 
December  7.  1861.  a  son  of  John  M.,  Sr..  and  P.arbara  (Kernthal )  Gugel. 
The  father  was  born  in  Rossthal,  Germany,  and  the  mother  in  the  same 
place.  The  father  during  the  latter  forties  settled  in  Frankenmuth  town- 
ship of  Saginaw  county,  where  his  marriage  occurred.  A  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation, he  started  out  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  John  G.  Hubinger,  and 
remained  for  twelve  years,  investing  his  earnings  in  the  rich  lands  of 
Frankenmuth  township,  and  for  a  number  of  years  combining  the  voca- 
tions of  clerk  and  farming.  He  was  a  Democrat,  very  prominent  in  his 
locality,  served  thirteen  years  as  supervisor,  many  years  as  school  director, 
and  al'wavs  bore  more  than  his  full  share  of  the  responsibilities  and  obli- 
gations of  community  life.  His  death  occurred  in  1891  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
two  years.  Fle  was  three  times  married,  had  eight  children  by  the  first 
wife.'  two  by  the  second,  and  four  step-children  by  the  third. 

Paul  L.  Gugel,  who  was  the  fourth  among  the  children,  was  educated 
in  the  parochial  schools  of  Frankenmuth  township,  leaving  school  when 
fourteen  vears  of  age,  and  from  that  time  until  reaching  his  majority, 
faithfully' assisted  his  father  on  the  home  farm.  His  career  as  a  mer- 
chant may  be  said  to  have  begun  in  his  twenty-second  year,  when  he 
accepted  a  clerkship  in  the  store  of  Hubinger  Brothers  at  Frankenmuth. 
His  experience  with  that  firm  enabled  him  in  1888  to  start  for  himself. 
In  that  year  was  formed  the  partnership  with  his  older  brother  Fred, 
and  in  a  modest  way  they  began  dealing  in  a  general  stock  of  merchandise. 
Both  t)rothers  had  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances,  and  by  their  previous 
record  had  acquired  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community,  so 
that  almost  from  the  start  they  prospered,  discounted  their  bills  regularly, 
and  inside  of  ten  years  they  had  a  store  second  to  none  of  its  kind  outside 
of  the  city  of  Saginaw. 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1945 

The  pleasant  partnership  relations  of  the  brothers  are  not  confined 
to  the  store,  and  both,  believing  in  the  future  growth  and  increasing 
values  of  the  country,  have  become  joint  owners  of  a  splendid  tract  of 
sixty  acres  of  fine  woodland  in  Saginaw  county  at  Birch  Run.  They  are 
also  jointly  interested  in  the  larger  flouring- mills  of  the  township,  the 
Star  of  the  West  Mills,  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  barrels  capacity. 
Paul  L.  is  treasurer  and  director  of  this  milling  company,  also  a  director 
in  the  State  Bank  of  Frankenmuth,  for  a  good  many  vears  treasurer  of 
School  District  No.  i,  village  of  Frankenmuth,  and  for  many  years  treas- 
urer of  the  Frankenmuth  Cheese  Manufacturing  Company.  The  Gugel 
Brothers'  store  gives  steady  employment  to  eight  clerks  and  assistants. 

Mr.  Gugel  and  family  are  active  members  of  the  St.  Lorenz  German 
Lutheran  church.  In  October,  1887,  occurred  his  marriage  with  Miss 
Anna  Barbara  Jordan,  who  was  born  in  Frankenmuth,  a  daughter  of 
Frederick  Jordan,  now  deceased,  but  who  was  a  pioneer  settler,  and  for 
many  years  one  of  the  leading  farmer  citizens  of  Frankenmuth  township: 
To  their  marriage  have  been  born  six  children:  Walter  Gugel.  now 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  is  a  clerk  in  the  employ  of  his  father  and  uncle ; 
Ernest  Gugel,  aged  twenty-three,  is  a  teacher  at  Harbor  Beach :  Louise, 
aged  twenty-two ;  Alma,  aged  twenty-one :  Martha,  aged  seventeen ; 
Lorenz,  aged  fourteen.  All  the  children  were  reared  in  a  cultured  home 
and  received  the  benefit  of  excellent  schooling  in  this  community. 

Geo.  F.  Gugel.  The  older  of  the  Gugel  brothers,  Geo.  F.  practically 
grew  up  at  Frankenmuth,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  learned  the 
carpenter  trade.  He  is  a  business  man  from  the  ground  up,  and  his  ex- 
perience and  ability  have  been  an  important  factor  in  the  success  of  the 
general  merchandise  house  of  the  brothers. 

Geo.  F.  Gugel  was  bom  in  Frankenmuth,  September  2"],  1859,  and 
the  principal  fact  concerning  his  family  and  its  pioneer  relations  with  the 
Saginaw  Valley  are  given  in  the  preceding  sketch  of  his  brother,  Paul  L. 
Educated  in  the  schools  of  Frankenmuth,  Geo.  F.  Gugel  remained  at 
home  and  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm  until  he  was  twenty  years  of 
age.  His  first  training  was  for  the  trade  of  carpenter,  and  that  was  pur- 
sued during  the  summer  months,  while  during  the  winter,  he  found  ready 
employment  at  the  door  and  sash  factory  of  the  Neuchterline  Brothers 
at  Frankenmuth.  He  thus  was  well  fortified  in  his  early  preparation, 
mastered  the  carpenter's  trade,  had  all  the  work  he  could  attend  to  in 
that  line,  and  at  the  same  time  was  getting  a  close  and  proficient  knowl- 
edge of  merchandising.  Thus  in  1888  he  was  ready  to  join  his  brotb.er, 
Paul,  and  take  into  the  firm  more  than  his  share  of  the  capital,  since  he 
thoroughly  understood  trade  conditions  in  this  vicinity,  and  was  prac- 
tically assured  of  a  large  patronage  among  his  former  customers  and 
friends.  For  the  past  twenty-five  years  the  brothers  have  worked  side 
by  side,  and  are  now  regarded  as  the  leading  business  men,  in  this 
locality. 

Geo.  F.  Gugel  and  family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church  at 
Frankenmuth.  He  was  married  in  1885  to  Miss  Johanna  Jordan,  who 
is  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Paul  L.  Gugel.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren :  Otto  Gugel,  who  clerks  in  the  Gugel  Brothers'  store ;  Johanna ; 
Ludwig,  bookkeeper  in  the  Bank  of  Saginaw :  and  Rudolf  Gugel.  a 
student  in  the  Bliss-Alger  College  of  Saginaw.  These  children  have 
been  well  educated,  and  have  already  taken  or  arc  preparing  to  take 
creditable  positions  in  the  world. 

George  H.-\rgre.\ves,  Jr.  Prominent  among  the  manufacturers  of 
Detroit  is  found  George  Hargreaves,  Jr.,  who  is  closely  identified  with 


1946  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

the  industrial  interests  of  Michigan  as  superintendent  of  the  Detroit  plant 
of  the  Railway  Steel  Spring  Company.  Mr.  Hargreaves  is  a  native  of 
England,  having  been  born  in  Staffordshire,  Alarch  12,  1852,  a  son  of  the 
late  Thomas  and  Dinah  (Lawton)  Hargreaves,  well-known  citizens  of 
Detroit  for  a  number  of  years,  and  both  now  deceased. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Hargreaves  were  born  in  England,  and  the  family 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1872,  locating  immediately  in  Detroit,  where 
the  father  purchased  a  home  on  the  corner  of  Lafayette  avenue  and  Fif- 
teenth street.  He  was  an  iron  and  steel  worker  by  trade  and  worked  at 
that  vocation  in  Detroit  until  1876,  then  moving  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  to 
which  city  the  son,  George,  had  previously  gone.  In  1884  the  parents  went 
to  San  Jose,  California,  where  they  spent  about  six  years,  then  returning 
to  Detroit.  During  the  last  fifteen  years  of  his  active  life,  Thomas  Har- 
greaves was  superintendent  of  iron  and  steel  plants  and  for  seven  years 
was  superintendent  of  the  Swift  Rolling  Alills  Company,  at  Newport,  Ken- 
tucky. He  was  earnestly  and  activelv  interested  in  church  work  as  an  of- 
ficial member  of  the  Preston  ■Methodist  Church  of  Detroit,  was  for 
many  years  leader  of  the  Young  People's  Christian  Endeavor  Society, 
connected  with  that  church,  and  a  memorial  window  to  his  memory  in 
that  direction  was  placed  in  the  church  by  that  society.  Mr.  Hargreaves 
died  at  Detroit  in  1901,  Mrs.  Hargreaves  preceding  him  by  one  and  one- 
half  years. 

George  Hargreaves,  Jr.,  received  his  education  in  the  commercial 
school  at  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  England,  and  then  served  an  apprentice- 
ship at  the  iron  and  steel  plant  at  that  place.  He  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  the  United  States  in  1872,  and  in  Detroit  became  identified  with 
the  firm  of  George  Hargreaves  &  Brother,  large  picture  frame  manufac- 
turers. In  1873  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  during  the  next  thir- 
teen years  he  was  connected  with  the  Globe  Rolling  Mills  Company,  but 
in  1886  returned  to  Detroit  to  become  roll  designer  and  consulting  en- 
gineer of  the  Detroit  Steel  and  Spring  Company,  the  Eureka  Iron  and 
Steel  Company,  the  Baugh  Steam  Forge  Company  and  the  Toledo  (Ohio) 
Rolling  Mill  Company,  all  of  which  positions  he  held  simultaneously 
until  1890.  In  that  year  he  became  superintendent  of  the  rolling  mill  de- 
partment of  the  Detroit  Steel  and  Spring  Company,  and  held  the  same 
position  until  the  company  was  merged  with  the  Railway  Spring  Company 
in  1902,  since  which  year  he  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Detroit  plant 
of  that  corporation.  He  is  also  a  director  of  the  Lewis  Spring  and  Axle 
Companv^  of  Jackson,  Michigan. 

Mr.  Hargreaves  has  followed  music  semi-professionally  and  as  a 
recreation,  having  held  positions  in  various  churches  as  church  organist 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  Detroit,  and  was  also  identified  with  the  May 
Festival  Association  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  for  nine  years.  He  was  or- 
ganist of  the  I\Iichigan  Sovereign  consistory  of  Detroit  for  nine  years. 
Like  his  father  he  has  been  interested  in  church  work,  being'  a  member 
of  the  Episcopal  faith.  He  is  well  known  in  Masonic  circles,  having 
attained  to  the  thirty-second  degree,  Scottish  Rite,  and  also  holds  mem- 
bership in  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce,  the  Motor  Boat  Club  and  the 
Fellowcraft  Club.  In  1874  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Bryan,  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  they  have  the  following  children:  Charles  H., 
Fannie  L.  and  Rachel,  who  married  S.  D.  Campbell. 

H.\RVEY  Tones  Campbell.  Among  the  men  of  Benton  Harbor  who 
have  attained  prominence  because  of  their  activities  in  the  business  and 
official  life  of  the  city,  Harvey  Jones  Campbell  is  deserving  of  more  than 
ordinary  mention,  for  he  has  been  identified  with  the  business  interests 
of  this  place  since  the  year  1900,  and  is  serving  in  the  capacity  of  post- 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1947 

master  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Campbell's  desire  to  be  always  doing 
something  for  the  city  of  his  adoption  has  made  him  very  favorably  con- 
sidered by  the  people  of  this  thriving  Michigan  community,  and  at  all 
times  he  has  given  to  his  official  duties  the  same  conscientious  attention 
which  characterized  his  business  career  and  brought  him  success  therein. 

Mr.  Campbell  is  a  native  of  Missouri,  born  at  Rock  House  Prairie, 
near  the  city  of  St.  Joseph,  December  i8,  1S54,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late 
Charles  W.  and  Sarah  (Jones)  Campbell,  the  former  a  native  of  N'irginia 
and  the  latter  of  Missouri.  The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Campbell,  Thomas 
Boyle  Campbell,  was  born  in  Scotland  and  brought  to  America  when  a 
child  of  three  years,  the  family  locating  at  Winchester,  Virginia.  The 
maternal  grandfather  of  Harvey  J.  Campbell  was  William  Jones,  a  native 
of  North  Carolina,  who  became  an  early  settler  of  ^lissouri,  the  mother 
of  Mr.  Campbell  being  born  near  Liberty,  Ray  county,  that  state.  In 
1844  Charles  W.  Campbell  removed  from  his  \'irginia  home  to  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  where  he  was  for  many  years  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business, 
and  where  two  of  his  sons  are  still  engaged  in  the  wholesale  trade  in  the 
same  line.  He  became  a  successful  merchant,  displaying  far  more  than 
ordinary  ability  in  his  transactions,  and  was  also  known  as  a  public-spir- 
ited citizen.  He  died  at  his  winter  home  in  Florida,  in  1904,  and  there 
Mrs.  Campbell  also  passed  away. 

Harvey  Jones  Campbell  was  reared  in  the  city  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri, 
and  there  he  attended  the  pulilic  schools,  graduating  from  the  high  school 
with  a  good  student  record.  In  1872  he  entered  upon  his  business  career 
in  a  dry  goods  business,  continuing  until  1898,  in  which  year  he  removed 
to  St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  Mr.  Campbell  came  to  Benton  Harbor  in  icjoo, 
to  establish  the  manufactory  of  the  John  V.  Farwell  Company,  and  con- 
tinued to  be  identified  with  that  enterprise  until  his  appointment  to  the 
office  of  postmaster,  February  2,  1913. 

For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Campbell  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
activities  of  the  Democratic  party,  serving  for  a  long  period  as  chairman 
of  the  Democratic  central  committee.  While  he  was  an  applicant  for  the 
appointment  as  postmaster  and  had  good  backing,  his  appointment  was 
in  the  nature  of  a  personal  one  from  President  Wilson,  who  risked  the 
appointment  from  the  Postoffice  Department.  Mr.  Campbell  took  charge 
of  the  office  March  i,  191 3,  and  since  that  time  through  his  energetic  labors 
has  been  able  to  accomplish  much  for  the  good  of  the  service.  He  has 
always  had  the  capacity  for  gathering  about  him  men  of  force  of  char- 
acter who  are  capable  of  accomplishing  things,  and  in  this  much  of  Mr. 
Campbell's  success  lies.  Recognized  as  one  of  his  city's  leading  men,  in 
T914  he  was  made  president  of  "the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Benton  Harbor 
Public  Library. 

Mr.  Campbell  married  I\Iary  Brown  Denney,  of  Winchester,  \'ir- 
ginia,  who  was  born  there,  a  member  of  the  distinguished  family  of  that 
name.  Her  father,  Col.  William  R.  Denney,  was  a  Confederate  officer 
during  the  Civil  War  and  one  of  the  captors  of  John  Brown,  at  Harper's 
Ferr\' ;  and  subsequently  was  one  of  the  charterers  of  the  vessel  which 
took'abroad  Mark  Twain  and  his  "Innocents,"  out  of  which  voyage  grew 
that  author's  famous  "Innocents  Abroad,"  Colonel  Denney  being  the  orig- 
inal from  whom  was  drawn  the  character  of  "the  Colonel."  A  brother 
of  Mrs.  Campbell  is  Bishop  Collins  Denney,  of  the  Southern  Methodist 
church,  a  graduate  of  Princeton  LTniversity  and  an  intimate  friend  pf 
President  Woodrow  Wilson.  Mrs.  Campbell  is  widely  known  in  social 
circles  of  Benton  Harbor,  having  formerly  been  secretary  of  the  local 
chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  and  three  vears 
state  secretary,  and  now  serving  her  second  term  as  regent  of  the  Michi- 
gan State  Society.    ^Ir.  Campbell,  who  is  also  widely  and  favorably  known 


1948  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

in  the  city,  is  a  member  of  the  Alissouri  Society,  Sons  of  the  American 
Revolution,  his  mihtary  ancestor  liaving  been  Daniel  Donnell.  of  North 
Carolina. 

Arthur  vox  Schlegell.  of  Detroit,  general  manager  of  the  Michigan 
State  Telephone  Company,  is  the  most  conspicuous  figure  in  the  telephone 
field  of  Michigan  today.  He  has  been  identified  with  this  line  of  business 
during  the  past  twenty  years,  during  which  period  he  has  steadily  worked 
his  way  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  ladder  until  he  is  now  the  recognized 
local  head  of  the  largest  telephone  system  in  the  state. 

Mr.  von  Schlegell  was  born  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  December  15,  1872, 
and  is  a  son  of  Lieutenant  and  ]\Iarie  (Muller)  von  Schlegell.  The  fam- 
ily has  been  prominent  in  Germany  for  many  generations.  His  grand- 
father was  for  years  commander  of  the  military  school  at  Potsdam,  Ger- 
many, while  Lieutenant  von  Schlegell  was  an  officer  in  Franz  Joseph's 
Grenadiers  of  Prussia.  Lieutenant  von  Schlegell  and  his  wife  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1870,  locating  first  at  St.  Louis,  and  a  few  years 
later  removed  to  Minneapolis,  where  the  father  became  prominent  as  a 
member  of  the  bar  and  served  as  judge  of  the  probate  court. 

Arthur  von  Schlegell  was  graduated  from  the  Minneapolis  High 
school  and  matriculated  for  the  University  of  Minnesota,  but  did  not 
enter  that  institution,  preferring  to  enter  at  once  upon  his  career.  For 
two  years  he  served  as  deputy  clerk  of  the  probate  court,  and  the  follow- 
ing three  years  were  passed  as  a  clerk  in  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce, 
at  Minneapolis,  succeeding  which  he  became  identified  with  street  rail- 
ways, first  with  the  construction  and  maintenance  department  of  the  St. 
Louis  Street  Railway  Company  and  later  with  the  operating  department 
of  the  Minneapolis  Street  Railway  Company,  being  engaged  with  each 
line  for  about  one  year.  During  the  early  'nineties,  ]\Ir.  von  Schlegell 
entered  the  telephone  field,  in  Minnesota,  and  in  1895  became  contract 
agent  for  the  Northwestern  Telephone  Company,  at  Minneapolis.  His 
success  in  this  line  gained  him  promotion  after  promotion,  and  in  1907 
he  came  to  Michigan  to  accept  the  position  of  general  contract  superin- 
tendent of  the  ^lichigan  Telephone  Company,  which,  in  IQIO,  became  a 
subsidiary  of  the  American  Telephone  Company  and  Telegraph  Company, 
and  shortly  afterwards  one  of  five  companies  operated  as  the  central 
group  of  Bell  Telephone  Companies,  and  one  of  the  territorial  units  of 
the  Bell  System.  Mr.  von  Schlegell's  position  then  became  that  of  gen- 
eral commercial  superintendent  of  the  Michigan  State  Telephone  Com- 
panv,  the  Wisconsin  Telephone  Company,  the  Cleveland  Telephone 
Company  and  the  Central  Union  Telephone  Company.  In  1912  there 
occurred  a  reorganization  of  the  Michigan  State  Telephone  Company  and 
Mr.  von  Schlegell  was  made  general  manager,  a  position  which  he  still 
retains,  being  also  president  of  the  Cheboygan  Telephone  Company  and 
vice  president  of  the  Lenawee  County  Telephone  Company.  He  is  an 
active  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce  and  belongs  to  the 
Detroit,  Fellowcraft  Club  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks. 

On  April  3,  1892,  Mr.  von  Schlegell  was  married  to  Miss  Grace  Lara- 
way,  of  Minneapolis,  and  to  them  there  has  been  born  one  daughter : 
Abby  Elise. 

Hon.  Gr.xnt  Fellow.s.  Long  accounted  one  of  }ilichigan's  most  emi- 
nent legists,  Hon.  Grant  Fellows,  attorney  general  of  the  state,  is  also 
known  as  a  dominant  factor  in  Republican  politics.  He  is  a  product  of 
the  farm,  having  been  born  on  his  father's  homestead  in  Hudson  town- 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1949 

ship,  Lenawee  county,  [Michigan,  April  13,  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  Xelson 
and  Sarah  M.  (Perry)  Fellows. 

Abel  Perry,  the  grandfather  of  Grant  Fellows,  was  a  descendant  of 
John  Perry,  of  Waterford,  who  founded  the  family  in  America  in  1780. 
The  grandfather  came  to  Michigan  from  New  York  in  1838  and  settled  in 
Medina  township,  Lenawee  county,  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  Nelson  Fellows  was  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  and  came  to  Mich- 
igan in  1835,  two  years  prior  to  this  state's  admission  to  the  Lhiion.  Set- 
tling on  land  in  Medina  township,  Lenawee  county,  which  he  had  secured 
from  the  Government,  he  engaged- in  agricultural  pursuits  in  that  and 
Hudson  townships,  and  passed  away  after  an  honorable  and  successful 
career,  in  1876,  aged  fifty-seven  years.  The  mother  of  Grant  Fellows 
was  also  a  New  Yorker  and  Ijelonged  to  the  same  family  which  gave  to 
the  United  States  Commodore  Perry,  who  won  imperishable  fame  in  the 
War  of  1812.     She  died  in  1898,  when  seventy-nine  years  of  age. 

Grant  Fellows  received  his  early  education  in  the  district  schools  of 
Hudson  township  and  the  high  school  at  Hudson,  and  following  some 
preparation  entered  the  practice  of  law,  being  admitted  to  the  bar  Decem- 
ber II,  1886.  He  has  since  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  calling,  and  since 
1890  has  been  senior  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Fellows  &  Candler, 
accounted  one  of  the  strongest  legal  combinations  in  the  state.  From 
191 1  until  his  election  to  the  attorney  generalship,  Mr.  Fellows  was  a 
member  of  the  Michigan  State  Board  of  Law  Examiners.  He  has  been 
actively  identified  with  the  Republican  party  since  attaining  his  majority, 
and  his  services  as  an  orator  have  been  in  great  demand  during  numerous 
campaigns.  Mr.  Fellows  was  nominated  for  the  office  of  attorney  general 
at  the  Republican  state  convention  held  at  Detroit,  September  24,  1912, 
and  at  the  following  election  was  sent  to  that  ofiice  by  the  voters  of  Mich- 
igan. One  of  the  most  capable  of  the  state  oflicials,  his  record  has  been 
one  of  steadfast  loyalty  to  the  interests  of  the  commonwealth,  and  his 
achievements  have  been  such  as  to  place  his  name  prominently  among 
those  of  Michigan's  foremost  and  most  useful  men  in  public  life. 

Mr.  Fellows  belongs  to  the  various  organizations  of  his  profession, 
and  is  also  prominent  in  fraternal  circles,  belonging  to  the  Masons,  in 
which  he  has  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree,  Adrian  Lodge  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  Hudson  Lodge,  Knights 
of  Pythias. 

Dudley  M.  Wells.  Since  1879  Mr.  Wells  has  been  in  the  active  and 
successful  practice  of  his  profession  as  a  lawyer,  for  a  number  of  years 
at  Coldwater  and  later  at  Adrian.  While  he  has  not  confined  all  his  at- 
tention to  one  branch  of  the  law,  it  is  in  criminal  practice  that  he  has 
gained  his  chief  reputation,  and  as  a  criminal  lawyer  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  ablest  and  most  successful  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state. 

D.  M.  Wells  was  born  at  Blissfield,  Michigan,  September  20,  1852,  a 
son  of  Marvin  B.  and  Harriet  (Dunton)  Wells.  His  father,  born  in 
Monroe  county,  in  1826,  was  a  member  of  a  pioneer  family  in  southeast- 
ern Michigan.'  He  followed  the  vocation  of  farming  and  died  in  1863. 
His  wife,  born  in  Alonroe  county  in  1833,  and  also  of  an  old  family  in 
the  state  now  lives  at  Coldwater.  After  the  death  of  her  first  husband 
she  married  William  J.  Peters,  in  1875.  Mr.  Peters,  who  was  a  farmer, 
died  in  1889.     Her  only  child  is  the  Adrian  lawyer. 

D.  M.  Wells  grew  up  on  a  farm,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
at  Blissfield,  and  also  the  high  school  at  Reading.  After  graduating  in 
1875  from  the  high  school  he  spent  two  terms  in  teaching,  entered  the  law 
department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  was  graduated  LL.  B.  in 
1879.    In  the  same  year  he  was  admitted  to  practice  before  the  supreme 


1950  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

court  of  ^lichigan,  and  in  1902  was  admittefl  to  practice  in  the  Federal 
courts.  Air.  Wells  began  his  career  in  Coldwater.  Michigan,  in  1879,  and 
in  a  few  years  had  gained  a  place  among  the  leading  lawyers  of  the  bar 
who  have  long  had  a  high  reputation  for  ability  in  the  southern  section 
of  the  state.  His  practice  at  Coldwater  continued  until  1902,  since  which 
year  he  has  been  identified  with  Adrian. 

At  Montgomery,  in  Hillsdale  county,  Michigan.  May  25,  1878,  Mr. 
Wells  married  Miss  Hattie  Thompson,  a  daughter  of  Hiram  Thompson, 
a  farmer  in  Hillsdale  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells  have  only  one  child. 
Bertha  H.,  whose  husband,  Emil  Huhn,  is  a  plumber  by  trade,  but  is  best 
known  among  the  thousands  as  catcher  in  the  Adrian  ball  club.  jMr. 
Wells  and  family  worship  in  the  Methodist  church,  in  politics  he  is  a 
Progressive  Republican,  and  his  record  of  public  service  includes  two 
terms  in  the  city  council  at  Coldwater,  and  two  terms  as  circuit  court 
commissioner  in  that  city.  During  his  early  residence  in  Coldwater  he 
was  for  one  year  a  member  of  the  Coldwater  Light  Guards.  Mr.  Wells 
still  owns  residence  property  in  Coldwater.  For  his  recreation  he  is 
partial  to  travel,  but  enjoys  all  outdoor  sports,  fishing  being  his  special 
delight. 

Levi  C.  Annis,  M.  D.  A  physician  and  surgeon  who  has  done  a 
quiet  but  efficient  work  as  a  rural  practitioner  in  Kent  county,  and  whose 
home  is  at  Cedar  Springs,  Levi  C.  Annis  graduated  from  medical  school 
a  number  of  years  ago,  and  has  enjoyed  success  as  a  physician  and  high 
standing  as  a  citizen. 

Levi  C.  Annis  was  born  January  27,  1864,  at  Lindsay,  Ontario,  a 
son  of  David  and  Julia  A.  (Clark)  Annis.  His  father,  who  was  born 
December  11,  1842,  is  a  successful  farmer,  and  still  lives  at  Lindsay. 
The  grandfather  was  William  Annis,  who  married  Miss  Coleman.  She 
came  from  England.  Grandfather  Annis  was  born  in  1817  and  died  in 
1905,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1876.  His  occupation  was  likewise 
that  of  a  farmer,  and  in  politics  he  favored  the  Reform  party.  Mrs. 
David  Annis  died  in  1900.  There  were  seven  children  in  the  parents' 
family,  including  Mrs.  Robert  S.  Jenkins,  Mrs.  William  I.  Simpson, 
Miss  Emma  and  Miss  Nellie,  and  Andrew,  the  latter  a  successful  farmer 
in  Canada,  also  Jerry,  deceased.  Mrs.  Simpson  and  the  two  unmarried 
daughters  live  at  Vancouver,  B.  C.  The  father  in  politics  is  likewise  a 
Reformer,  and  has  fraternal  affiliations  with  the  Independent  Order  of 
Foresters. 

Dr.  Annis  in  politics  is  a  Progressive,  and  affiliates  with  the  Royal 
Arch  Chapter  of  Masonry  and  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  He  was  married  at  Windsor,  Ontario,  September  14,  1898,  to 
Frances  B.  Scott.  She  died  July  23,  191 1,  and  on  November  30,  1912, 
Dr.  Annis  married  her  sister.  Walter  Scott,  an  uncle  of  these  sisters, 
is  in  the  active  service  of  the  British  government  in  India,  and  has  at- 
tained the  rank  of  colonel  in  the  English  army.  Dr.  Annis  has  five 
children  by  his  first  wife,  all  of  whom  are  now  attending  school  in  Cedar 
Springs.  Their  names  arc  William  E.,  Richard  C.,  Gordon  C,  Charles 
G.,  and  Ethel  L. 

Ar.\  B.  Hf.wes,  M.  D.  a  native  Ohioan  and  since  1903  in  practice  at 
Adrian.  Dr.  Hewes  by  his  skill  and  high  character  reflects  credit  on  his 
profession,  and  is  one  of  the  most  jiopular  citizens  of  his  community. 

Dr.  Ara  B.  Hewes  was  born  in  Medina,  Ohio,  December  27,  1873. 
His  father,  Alanson  Hewes,  wa.=;  born  at  Medina,  Ohio,  in  1836,  was  a 
substantial  farmer  and  honorable  citizen  of  his  community  and  a  soldier 
(luring  the  Civil  war.    He  died  in  1874.    The  maiden  name  of  the  mother 


*<Vtv 


^  HE  KEw  row" 


["S^u^;^: 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1951 

was  Alary  J.  French,  who  was  born  at  Medina  in  1840  and  died  in  1912. 
Their  six  children  were :  Lillian  C,  Marion  £.,  Adelaide  S.,  Ora  K., 
Ara  B.  and  John  C.  The  daughter,  Lillian,  died  in  1910  as  Mrs.  Mabry, 
her  home  having  been  at  Medina,  Ohio ;  Marion  died  when  nineteen  years 
old;  Adelaide,  who  died  in  1909,  was  Mrs.  Busher,  and  lived  at  Oakland, 
California;  Ora  K.,  is  a  teacher;  and  John  is  living  at  Lorain,  Ohio. 

Dr.  Hewes  has  made  a  success  in  life  Ijy  hard  work.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  high  school  at  Medina,  Ohio,  and  spent  one  year  in  Hills- 
dale College  in  Michigan.  His  studies  preparatory  for  his  profession 
were  pursued  in  the  Cleveland  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  where  he 
was  graduated  M.  D.  in  1903.  In  the  same  year  he  opened  his  office  at 
Adrian,  and  has  since  succeeded  in  accjuiring  a  large  general  practice  and 
is  especially  successful  as  a  surgeon.  Dr.  Hewes  is  a  member  of  the  .State 
Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  Homeopathic  Society,  and  the  American 
Institute  of  Homeopathy.  He  was  for  two  years  city  physician  of  .\drian, 
and  during  the  Spanish-American  war  was  with  the  Reserve  Hospital 
Corps,  a  year.  Fraternally  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Royal  Arcanum  and 
the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  is  a  Presbyterian  in  religion,  and  a  Pro- 
gressive Republican. 

At  Rose,  New  York,  October  7,  1903,  Dr.  Hewes  married  Alabel  A. 
Ferris,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Ferris,  who  was  postmaster  at  Rose.  To 
their  marriage  have  been  born  two  children ;  Helen  M.  and  Richard  F. 

Hon.  C.  E.  Gittixs.  The  work  of  Mr.  Gittins  as  a  lawyer  and  busi- 
ness man  in  Detroit  covering  a  period  of  twelve  years  has  brought  him 
a  substantial  position  and  reputation  in  that  city,  and  more  recently  his 
name  has  become  known  over  the  state  as  one  of  the  champions  of  the 
national  Progressive  party  and  he  is  one  of  the  representatives  of  that  new 
political  organization  in  the  present  senate  of  the  state,  having  been  elected 
in  1912  from  the  first  district  of  XVayne  county. 

Clarence  Gittins,  who  is  one  of  the  young  and  able  attorneys  of  De- 
troit, was  born  in  Wayne  county,  at  Plymouth,  September  21,  1884.  His 
parents  are  George  I.  and  Josephine  (Knight)  Gittins.  His  father  was 
born  in  Shropshire,  England,  in  1832,  son  of  George  and  Charlotte  Git- 
tins, who  brought  him  to  the  United  States  in  1863,  the  family  settling 
at  once  in  Michigan,  first  in  Detroit  and  later  in  Redford,  where  George 
I.  Gittins  grew  to  manhood.  Following  his  marriage  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, and  that  was  his  vocation  until  1913,  when  he  retired  from  agricul- 
ture to  take  up  the  hardware  business  at  Milford.  His  wife  was  born 
in  Detroit  in  1857,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Knight,  a  well  known  lumljer- 
man  of  the  city.  Both  are  members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  the 
father  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  order. 

Clarence  Gittins,  like  so  many  men  in  the  city,  grew  up  on  a  farm  in 
Wayne  county,  and  while  living  in  the  parental  home  attended  district 
school.  For  his  higher  education  he  supplemented  the  means  supplied 
from  home  by  his  own  labors,  and  first  prepared  himself  for  teaching  by 
a  course  in  the  Michigan  State  Normal  school  in  Ypsilanti.  His  career 
as  a  teacher  began  in  1902,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  continued  for 
seven  vears,  with  three  years  as  principal  of  the  Lyon  graded  school  in 
Hamtranick,  Michigan.  While  working  in  the  schoolroom  he  was  also 
industriously  preparing  himself  for  the  legal  profession,  and  in  1909  was 
graduated  from  the  Detroit  College  of  Law  with  the  degree  LL.  B.  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Michigan  bar  in  the  same  year.  With  this  training 
he  embarked  in  practice  at  Detroit  as  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Git- 
tins &  Stieler,  and  in  addition  to  a  general  practice  which  has  brought  him 
before  all  the  courts  of  the  state  he  has  participated  in  business  affairs, 
and  is  an  official  in  several  well  known  Detroit  companies.     He  is  secre- 


1952  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

tary  of  the  Highland  I'ark  lioard  of  Commerce;  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  Knowles  Heights  Land  Company :  secretary  of  the  Ford  \'ievv 
Realty  Company;  and  secretary  of  the  Highland  Park  Times  Company, 
publishers  of  the  Times. 

Ouite  early  in  his  career  he  began  exerting  some  local  inlluence  in 
politics,  and  in  1912  allied  himself  with  the  new  Progressive  party.  He 
accepted  a  place  on  the  ticket  of  the  National  Progressives  as  candidate 
for  the  Michigan  State  senate  from  the  first  district  of  Wayne  county,  and 
in  this  connection  it  is  a  matter  of  interest  to  record  the  respective  votes : 
Mr.  Ciittins'  vote  was  8,594,  and  the  other  candidates  for  the  office  were 
Leroy  A.  Nelson,  who  received  8,201  ;  William  J.  Lee,  with  7,041  ;  Otto 
Hinz,  with  1,599;  and  Gerrit  L.  Smith,  with  153.  During  the  last  session 
of  the  legislature  Mr.  Gittins  was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  immigra- 
tion and  a  member  of  the  railroad  and  other  committees. 

Mr.  Gittins  has  memliership  in  the  Lawyers  Club  of  Detroit,  in  the 
Delta  Phi  Delta,  in  Highland  Park  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  in  the 
Presbyterian  church.  On  July  10,  1911,  he  married  Lois  Goldsmith  of 
\"icksl)urg,  ^lichigan. 

George  F.  Soxxer.  Both  the  city  of  Benton  Harbor,  which  is  his 
home,  and  the  State  of  Michigan  are  fortunate  in  the  possession  of  such 
a  man  as  George  F.  Sonner.  A  few  years  ago  he  retired  from  a  long 
and  successful  career  as  a  merchant.  Early  in  his  life  he  had  been  one 
of  the  brave  and  valiant  soldiers  of  the  L'nion,  and  won  a  captain's  com- 
mission. About  fifty  years  ago  be  began  his  career  at  Benton  Harbor  as 
one  of  the  men  of  small  means,  but  with  a  large  outlook  on  life  and  an 
energy  and  ambition  which  have  in  the  passing  years  accomplished  much 
not  only  for  his  own  prosperity,  but  for  the  good  of  the  city.  In  all  this 
time  he  has  been  closely  identified  with  Benton  Harbor's  business 
aiTairs,  and  also  with  its  social  and  charitable  interests. 

George  F.  Sonner  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  born  in  Highland 
county,  Ohio,  June  S,  1837.  His  parents  were  William  and  Anne  (Cailey) 
Sonner.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Highland  county,  and  his  grandfather 
came  from  Germany  in  the  early  days  and  became  a  pioneer  in  that  section 
of  Ohio.  Mr.  Sonner's  maternal  grandfather  was  likewise  among  the 
Highland  County  pioneers  and  a  native  of  England. 

The  boyhood  and  early  youth  of  George  F.  Sonner  was  spent  in 
Highland  county,  where  he  acquired  a  district  school  education.  On 
reaching  his  majority  he  moved  to  Zanesville,  in  Allen  county,  Indiana. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  however,  he  was  living  in  Ross  county, 
Ohio.  Like  General  Putnam,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  whose  career  is 
familiar  to  all  students  of  American  history,  Mr.  Sonner  was  plowing  in 
the  cornfield  when  the  first  news  came  to  him  that  his  services  were 
needed  to  ])ut  down  the  armed  force  of  rebellion.  Without  completing 
the  furrow,  he  unhitched  his  team,  at  once  repaired  to  the  rendezvous  and 
tendered  his  services  to  the  government.  He  became  a  memb<=r  of  the 
Sixtieth  Regiment  of  Indiana  \'olunteers,  and  completed  one  year  of 
service  with  that  command.  Then  returning  to  Ohio,  under  orders  from 
the  war  governor  of  that  state,  he  and  Major  Irwin  began  recruiting 
soldiers  for  a  new  command.  Major  Irwin  was  appointed  a  major  in 
the  Second  Ohio  Heavy  Artillery,  and  Mr.  Sonner  accepted  the  position 
of  captain  in  Company  A  of  the  same  command.  With  that  regiment  he 
continued  until  the  close  of  hostilities,  and  made  an  excellent  record  as 
a  brave  and  faithful  soldier. 

On  the  close  of  his  military  career  Mr.  Sonner  came  to  Benton  Har- 
bor, where  his  mother,  who  had  been  widowed  and  had  again  married, 
was  then  living.    During  his  service  in  the  war  Mr.  Sonner  had  managed 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1953 

to  conserve  his  means,  so  that  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor  with  a  small 
amount  of  capital.  While  looking  around  for  an  opportunity  to  invest 
his  means  in  some  independent  enterprise,  he  supported  himself  by  work 
in  a  humble  capacity  in  a  box  factory.  After  several  years,  the  oppor- 
tunity came,  and  he'  entered  the  firm  of  H.  L.  Pitcher  &  Company,  dry 
goods  merchants,  the  constituent  members  of  which  were  H.  L.  Pitcher 
and  R.  ^I.  Jones.  Their  store  was  the  leading  one  of  the  city.  A  few 
years  later  Mr.  Pitcher  retired,  and  under  the  name  of  Jones  &  Sonner, 
as  sole  proprietors,  a  business  was  developed  which  for  many  years  stood 
as  a  landmark  in  the  business  section  of  Benton  Harbor,  and  was 
synonymous  with  reliable  merchandise,  with  honest  business  methods  and 
successful  integrity.  In  1912  Messrs.  Jones  &  Sonner  dissolved  their 
partnership  by  mutual  agreement,  and  both  retired  after  about  forty  years 
of  successful  merchandising.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Sonner  has  been  occu- 
pied with  his  private  affairs  and  investments,  though  he  has  always 
been  liberal  with  his  means  in  support  of  movements  and  institutions. 

His  absorption  in  private  business  interests  has  never  interfered  with 
his  public  spirit,  and  no  one  has  given  more  freely  of  his  time  and 
money  toward  the  upbuilding  of  Benton  Harbor  and  its  institutions.  One 
of  the  older  settlers  in  Benton  Harbor,  he  has  continuously  for  forty 
years  or  more  assisted  in  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  the  com- 
munity. The  old  soldiers  will  always  have  special  reason  to  remember 
him  gratefully  since  it  was  out  of  his  private  means  that  the  Soldiers' 
Home  was  l)uilt  at  St.  Joseph.  He  has  also  contributed  towards  the  dif- 
ferent churches  of  the  city,  has  for  many  years  been  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  Congregational  church  and  for  a  long  term  of  years  was 
trustee  of  the  church  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school.  Mr. 
Sonner  was  one  of  the  promoters  and  liberal  donors  of  the  Benton  Harbor 
PuIjHc  Library,  was  chairman  of  the  building  committee  of  that  institution, 
and  was  its  first  president,  a  position  which  he  retained  from  1902  until 
1914,  in  which  latter  year  he  resigned. 

J.  St.wley  ]\Iorton.  From  Michigan's  territorial  days  down  to  the 
present  time  the  Morton  family  has  ranked  among  the  honored  ones  of 
the  state.  For  three  generations  the  family  has  been  closely  identified 
with  the  development  of  the  southern  part  of  the  commonwealth,  and 
probably  no  other  has  had  so  much  to  do  with  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  Benton  Harbor.  The  third  generation  of  the  family  is  honorably 
represented  by  J.  Stanley  Morton,  who  has  well  maintained  the  prestige 
of  the  name,  and  who  is  today  justly  accounted  Benton  Harbor's  foremost 
citizen. 

The  Morton  family  is  of  old  English  ancestry-,  and  was  founded  at 
Salem,  Massachusetts,' in  1620,  and  members  of  each  succeeding  genera- 
tion have  been  prominent  in  American  history.  Among  thedistinguished 
members  of  the  name  may  be  mentioned  the  Hon.  Levi  P.  Morton, 
formerlv  governor  of  New  York  and  vice  president  of  the  L'nited  States, 
and  the'Hon.  Marcus  Morton,  formerly  governor  of  [Massachusetts.  The 
Benton  Harbor  branch  of  the  Morton  family  was  found  in  Michigan  dur- 
ing territorial  days,  one  year  prior  to  Michigan's  admission  to  the  Union, 
by  the  pioneer  Eleazer  Morton,  grandfather  of  J.  Stanley  Morton,  who 
came  here  from  New  York  state  in  1834.  Eleazer  Morton  was  a  native 
of  the  old  Bay  state,  having  been  born  at  Stoughton,  Massachusetts,  Au- 
gust I,  1786.  'He  removed  to  Syracuse,  New  York,  in  1806,  and  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  salt,  and  in  181 1  was  married  in  that  city  to  Miss 
Toanna  Cotton,  who  was  a  native  of  Vermont  and  was  teaching  school  in 
"the  Salt  City  at  that  time.  Soon  thereafter,  they  went  to  Alexanrler, 
Genesee  county,  New  York,  where  the  grandfather  engaged  in  farming 


1954  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

and  manufacturing  cloth,  but  in  the  spring  of  1831  made  removal  to  Brock- 
port.  Monroe  county,  New  York,  where  he  was  engaged  in  business  on  the 
Erie  Canal  for  a  short  time.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  Mr  Morton  re- 
moved to  Ohio,  locating  at  ^ledina,  and  there  turned  his  attention  to  the 
keeping  of  a  tavern,  but  after  something  more  than  two  years  again 
turned  his  face  toward  the  West,  removing  to  the  then  territory  of 
Michigan  and  taking  up  his  residence  in  Kalamazoo  county.  His  object 
in  coming  to  Michigan  was  to  experiment  in  the  making  of  sugar  from 
potatoes.  By  the  fall  of  1835  he  had  abandoned  that  idea  as  impracticable, 
and  at  that  time  came  to  Berrien  comity.  locating  first  at  St.  Joseph. 
During  the  few  months  that  followed,  Mr.  Morton  purchased  from  dif- 
ferent owners  160  acres  of  land,  in  sections  15  and  20,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1836  built  a  log  tavern  on  the  Territorial  Road,  this  at  that  time  being 
the  only  house  for  seven  miles  eastward  of  the  river  St.  Joseph.  Mr. 
Morton  cleared  his  land,  improved  it  into  a  desirable  farm,  and  set  out 
a  fruit  orchard  of  apple,  peach,  pear,  plum,  nectarine  and  apricot  trees, 
which  began  to  bear  in  the  early  'forties,  and  thus  he  became  a  pioneer 
fruitgrower  of  the  state.  Also,  he  was  the  second  man  to  ship  fruit 
from  Michigan  to  the  Chicago  markets.  As  the  years  passed  he  became 
identified  with  other  business  interests  until  he  was  justly  accounted  one 
of  the  leading  and  most  successful  business  men  of  the  community. 
Eleazer  Morton  was  a  man  of  unusual  ability  and  of  most  marked  char- 
acteristics. He  was  a  deep  student,  a  profound  thinker  and  a  ready  and 
fluent  writer.  Keeping  fully  abreast  of  the  trend  of  the  times  and  the  im- 
portant affairs  of  the  day.  he  was  constantly  in  correspondence  with  nu- 
merous of  the  leading  national  men  of  the  time,  and  was  in  demand  as  a 
contributor  to  the  press  as  a  writer  of  articles  upon  his  favorite  topics. 
He  was  an  Abolitionist  and  a  Whig,  but  subsequently  joined  the  Repub- 
lican party  upon  its  organization.  His  work,  "Morton's  Guide  to  True 
Happiness,"  had  a  wide  circulation  during  early  days.  Altogether,  he 
was  a  strong  character  and  left  his  impress  upon  the  history  of  his  com- 
munity, an  imprint  which  was  in  every  way  beneficial  to  his  locality  and 
helpful  to  its  citizens  of  the  succeeding  generations.  He  died  July  4, 
1864.  his  wife  having  passed  away  about  eight  years  previous,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1856. 

Among  the  children  born  to  Eleazer  and  Joanna  Morton  was  Henry 
C.  Morton,  who  became  a  worthy  successor  of  his  father  and  carried 
the  prominence  of  the  family  through  the  second  generation.  Born  in 
Genesee  county,  New  York,  January  2~,  1817,  he  was  a  youth  of  seven- 
teen vears  when  he  came  to  ]\[ichigan  with  the  family,  and  for  many 
years  was  identified  with  the  growth  and  development  of  Benton  Harbor, 
witnessing  the  growth  of  the  city  from  a  straggling  village  to  a  metro- 
politan conimunitv.  thriving,  progressive  and  substantial.  He  was  a  firm 
ijeliever  in  the  project  of  the  Benton  Harbor  Canal  and  was  one  of  the 
promoters  and  builders  of  that  waterway.  He  also  gave  freely  of  his 
time,  means  and  advice  toward  the  establishment  of  other  important  en- 
terprises, and  always  did  his  full  share  in  promoting  the  welfare  and 
growth  of  the  city  during  his  time.  On  February  8,  1848,  I\Ir.  Morton 
married  Josephine  Stanley,  who  was  born  at  LeRoy.  Genesee  county.  New 
York,  and  who  died  at  Benton  Harbor  in  September.  1859.  Mr.  ^Torton 
surviving  her  until  May,  1895. 

T.  Stanley  !Morton.  grandson  of  Eleazer.  and  son  of  Henry  C.  Mor- 
ton, has  w'eli  maintained  the  prestige  of  the  family  in  the  third  genera- 
tion, and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  business  and  social 
circles  of  Benton  Harbor  today,  while  his  name  and  rejAitation  are  famil- 
iar in  the  business  world  all  over  the  cotmtrv.     He  was  born  at  Benton 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1955 

Harbor,  September  i6,  1850,  and  attended  the  public  schools  until  the 
age  of  fifteen  years,  at  which  time  he  embarked  upon  his  business  career 
as  clerk  in  a  general  store  of  his  native  place.  In  1869,  before  he  had 
reached  his  majority,  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business  on  his  own  account 
and  continued  to  devote  his  attentions  to  that  line  until  1873.  In  1874 
he  entered  the  field  of  transportation  by  chartering  a  steamboat  and  plac- 
ing it  in  the  trade  between  Benton  Harbor  and  Chicago,  this  boat  being 
the  Lake  Breeze,  which  carried  freight  and  passengers,  although  at  that 
day  travel  was  limited  between  the  Michigan  and  Illinois  shores.  Mr. 
Morton  continued  to  operate  this  boat  with  success  until  1875,  when  he 
became  interested  with  the  late  John  H.  Graham  and  Anderson  Craw- 
ford in  a  steamboat  line  between  Benton  Harbor  and  Chicago,  and,  form- 
ing a  partnership  with  these  gentlemen,  established  what  is  now  the 
famous  Graham  &  Morton  Transportation  Company,  which  has  grown 
into  one  of  the  largest  lines  operating  on  the  Great  Lakes.  Mr.  Morton 
was  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  company  until  1893,  when  he  with- 
drew from  the  enterprise,  but  in  1898  re-entered  the  firm  and  held  the 
same  position  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Graham  in  1907,  when  he  succeeded 
to  the  presidency. 

After  leaving  the  Graham  &  Alorton  Company,  in  1S93,  Mr.  Morton, 
in  company  witl,i  other  enterprising  business  men,  purchased  a  controlling 
interest  in  the  stock  of  the  old  Excelsior  Gas  Company,  which  was  re- 
organized under  their  management,  Mr.  Morton  becoming  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  new  concern.  This  venture  was  later  again  reorganized, 
becoming  the  Benton  Harbor  and  St.  Joseph  Gas  and  Fuel  Company,  of 
which  Mr.  Morton  was  vice  president  until  his  withdrawal  in  1912.  At 
this  time  he  is  president  of  the  Peck  Furniture  Company,  of  Benton 
Harbor.  In  former  days  Mr.  Morton  was  intimately  identified  with  many 
important  local  enterprises,  being  for  a  number  of  years  vice  president 
of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Benton  Harbor,  president  of  the  Stevens 
&  Alorton  Luml)er  Company,  treasurer  of  the  Alden  Canning  Company 
and  secretary  of  the  Benton  Harbor  Improvement  Company. 

On  June  21,  1871,  Mr.  Morton  was  married  to  Miss  Carrie  Heath,  of 
Benton  Harbor,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Salmon  F.  and  Julia  Heath,  who 
came  to  Benton  Harbor  from  Wisconsin  in  1861.  Four  children  have 
been  born  to  this  union,  as  follows:  Charles,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two 
and  one-half  years ;  Henry,  who  died  when  two  months  old :  William  H.. 
who  has  charge  of  the  Chicago  offices  of  the  Graham  &  Morton  Lines ; 
and  Raymond,  who  died  in  October,  191 3,  leaving  a  widow  and  one 
daughter,  Josephine,  the  latter  now  aged  two  and  one-half  years,  and 
the  only  grandchild  in  the  family. 

Mr.  Morton  is  well  known  in  fraternal  circles  of  Benton  Harbor,  be- 
ing prominently  connected  with  the  lodges  of  the  Masons,  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 

Henry  L  Armstrong.  That  Detroit  gained  its  supremacy  as  a  manu- 
facturing city  is  due  to  several  factors,  the  most  important  of  which  is 
the  status  of  its  representative  business  men  engaged  in  the  manufacturing 
line,  a  prominent  example  being  found  in  Henry  I.  Armstrong,  member 
of  the  firm  of  Armstrong  and  Graham,  wholesale  manufacturers  of 
saddlery  hardware,  with  shops  at  No.  130  Jefferson  avenue,  Detroit. 

Henry  L  Armstrong  was  born  in  the  city  of  Detroit,  December  10, 
1850,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  Thomas  and  Catherine  (Hopson)  Arm- 
strong. In  the  democratic  atmosphere  of  the  public  schools  he  secured  his 
early  educational  training,  afterward  becoming  a  student  at  Olivet  Col- 
lege, in  Michigan,  a  well  known  institution  from  which  he  passed  to  the 
University  of  Michigan  and  after  completing  a  period  there  was  ready  to 


1956  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

make  a  start  in  business.  In  1870  he  secured  a  position  in  the  laboratory 
of  the  Detroit  medicine  manufacturing  concern.  Parke.  Davis  &  Company, 
and  continued  so  connected  for  one  year,  following  which  he  engaged 
with  the  firm  of  Hayden  &  Baldwin  and  still  later  was  with  Glover  & 
Campau.  In  1875  he  entered  the  employ  of  Buhl,  Ducharm  &  Company, 
with  which  concern  he  remained  for  ten  years,  or  until  1885,  when  he 
embarked  in  business  for  himself,  becoming  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Armstrong  &  Graham.  The  business  of  this  widely  known  firm  is  the 
manufacture  of  saddlery  hardware  and  the  scope  of  its  trade  has  so 
broadened  that  it  has  become  the  leader  in  its  line  in  Michigan,  doing 
an  exclusive  wholesale  business. 

Mr.  Armstrong  was  married  March  21,  1877,  to  IMiss  Sarah  Aikman, 
of  Detroit.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce  and 
belongs  also  to  the  Detroit  Club.  While  not  active  as  a  politician.  Mr. 
Armstrong  recognizes  every  duty  of  citizenship  and  ever  exerts  his  influ- 
ence toward  the  making  of  wholesome  laws  and  to  the  impartial  enforce- 
ment of  the  same. 

Hon.  Edward  E.  Edwards.  It  was  more  than  forty  years  ago  that 
Judge  Edwards  was  admitted  to  the  Michigan  bar,  and  with  the  excep- 
tion of  three  years  his  career  since  1875  h'^^  been  spent  in  Newaygo 
county,  where  he  is  not  only  one  of  the  oldest  lawyers,  but  his  success 
and  influence  have  been  measured  proportionately  with  the  length  of  his 
practice.  Besides  the  successes  which  have  come  to  him  as  a  lawyer,  he 
has  enjoyed  public  distinction  at  the  hands  of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  is 
now  devoting  all  his  time  and  attention  to  the  work  of  the  probate  judge- 
ship, which  he  has  held  since  January  i,  1905. 

Edward  E.  Edwards  was  born  in  Broome  county.  New  York,  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1845.  Grandfather  David  Edwards  was  born  in  New  York 
state  and  spent  all  his  life  there.  The  Edwards  family  originally  came 
from  Wales.  Judge  Edwards'  maternal  grandfather  was  born  in  New 
York  state  also.  The  parents  were  David  C.  and  Electa  A.  (Pettis) 
Edwards.  The  father  was  born  in  New  York  July  4,  1820,  and  died 
August  I,  1881.  while  the  mother  was  born  in  1823  and  died  in  1865. 
Some  time  after  their  marriage,  they  moved  to  Illinois  in  1852,  and  the 
next  year  went  to  low^a,  and  after  two  years  there  settled  at  Greenville, 
Michigan.  The  father  was  a  farmer  in  that  locality  four  or  five  years, 
then  became  a  pioneer  settler  in  Oceana  county,  and  from  there  moved 
out  to  the  state  of  Missouri  where  he  died.  During  his  early  life  he  was 
an  active  worker  in  the  Good  Templar  organization.  In  politics  he  was 
a  Democrat,  and  as  a  business  man  was  quite  successful,  leaving  ])ro]ierty 
valued  at  about  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  when  he  died.  He  and  his 
wife  had  seven  children,  six  now  living,  as  follows:  Edward  E. ;  Cynthia 
G.,  the  wife  of  A.  Harding,  who  lives  at  Port  Townsend.  Oregon ;  Clara 
A.,  who  married  'Sir.  Armstrong  and  lives  in  South  Dakota ;  Mrs.  Cor- 
nelia E.  Young,  wife  of  a  physician  in  Iowa ;  Mrs.  Ella  G.  ^loore,  who 
lives  in  the  northeastern  part  of  Washington ;  and  Daniel  J.,  who  also 
lives  in  the  state  of  Washington,  where  he  is  a  carpenter  and  builder. 

Judge  Edwards  received  a  common  school  education  in  New  York 
state,  and  in  Illinois,  Iowa,  and  Michigan,  his  youth  being  spent  in  all  four 
of  those  states.  His  practical  career  began  as  a  clerk  in  a  store,  and 
after  four  or  five  years,  having  devoted  himself  assiduously  to  the  study 
of  law,  under  private  direction,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  March, 
1870.  He  was  then  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  after  two  years  of 
practice  at  Pentwater,  and  then  three  years  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
state,  he  came  to  Newa,go  county  in  1875,  and  set  up  an  office  and  began 
practice  at  Fremont.     Success  came  to  him  very  quickly  after  locating 


CE-<^_«^-T£_<2_V^       C^  '       Gr^^rit^>—^ 


^. 


THE   NIW  TORK 

fUBi.lvJLURARY' 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1957 

in  Newaygo  county  and  he  has  for  nearly  forty  yeais  enjoyed  a  distinc- 
tion as  an  able  and  successful  member  of  the  bar.  His  home  was  at 
Fremont  for  a  number  of  years,  and  while  there  he  filled  the  office  of 
circuit  judge  for  a  year  and  a  half,  having  been  appointed  to  that  position 
in  1897.  After  taking  up  his  duties  as  probate  judge  he  moved  to  the 
county  seat  in  1905,  in  1910  changed  his  residence  to  White  Cloud, 
which  in  that  year  was  made  the  new  seat  of  government  for  Newaygo 
county. 

At  Pent  water  in  1867  Judge  Edwards  married  Emma  J.  Carroll, 
a  daughter  of  Watson  Carroll.  j\lrs.  Edwards,  who  died  in  1869, 
left  one  son,  Edward  C,  who  died  when  six  years  of  age.  In  1872 
the  judge  married  Mary  E.  Queale,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Robert  Queale, 
a  minister  of  the  Universalist  church.  By  this  marriage  there  were  two 
children:  Edith  M.,  who  lives  at  home;  and  Corydon  Howard,  who  died 
in  youth.  Judge  Edwards  and  family  worship  in  the  Universalist  faith, 
and  he  has  been  prominent  in  Masonry.  He  helped  to  organize  Arcana 
Lodge  No.  463,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  White  Cloud,  and  has  been  master  in 
four  different  lodges.  He  also  affiliates  with  the  Royal  Arch  Chapter 
at  Fremont  and  the  Consistory  and  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Grand  Rapids. 
In  politics  a  Republican,  he  has  interested  himself  in  public  affairs,  has 
been  a  friend  of  good  government  and  a  worker  for  the  best  interests 
of  every  community  where  he  has  had  his  home.  He  served  as  town- 
ship clerk,  as  village  attorney  and  president  in  Fremont,  was  a  member 
of  the  state  legislature  and  made  an  excellent  record  in  the  lower  house 
during  1881-82,  and  in  the  state  senate  from  1885  to  1S87,  and  he  at- 
tained to  no  little  distinction  while  a  member  of  the  senate.  Judge  Ed- 
wards is  a  man  who  has  well  won  the  various  distinctions  which  have 
come  to  him,  and  in  every  place  of  trust  has  accjuitted  himself  with  credit 
to  himself  and  with  a  fine  performance  of  obligation  to  the  public. 

Hon.  Franz  C.  Kuhn,  associate  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Michigan,  is  a  worthy  representative  of  the  dignity  and  greatness  of  the 
state  in  the  domain  of  the  law  which  he  has  honored  for  twenty  years, 
and  an  able  and  virile  product  of  the  city  with  which  he  has  been  for 
so  long  identified  as  lawyer,  jurist  and  progressive  citizen.  He  was  born 
in  Detroit,  Michigan,  February  8,  1872,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Anna  C. 
( Ullrich )  Kuhn,  both  natives  of  Germany.  The  mother  belonged  to  the 
Ullrich  family  of  Mount  Clemens,  which  has  long  been  identified  with 
the  commercial  and  financial  interests  of  that  city.  The  parents  of  Judge 
Kuhn  were  married  in  Detroit,  but  in  1874  removed  to  JMount  Clemens, 
where  the  father  is  still  engaged  in  commercial  pursuits. 

Judge  Kuhn  was  reared  in  Mount  Clemens  and  was  given  a  thorough 
literary  training  by  parents  who  firmly  believed  in  an  education  as  the 
best  asset  of  manhood.  After  attending  the  public  schools,  he  entered 
the  literary  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  where  he  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1893,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Sciences,  and 
in  the  following  year  graduated  from  the  law  department,  receiving  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  Almost  immediately  thereafter  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  and  during  the  same  year  was  elected  Circuit  Court 
commissioner  of  Macomb  county,  a  capacity  in  which  he  served  from 
1894  until  1896.  From  1898  until  1904  he  served  as  prosecuting  attorney 
of  ]\Iacomb  county,  three  terms,  and  in  the  latter  year  was  elected  probate 
judge.  He  was  re-elected  to  that  office  in  igo8.  but  June  6,  1910,  resigned 
to  accept  the  appointment  of  attorney  general  of  Michigan,  from  Governor 
Warner.  On  October  6,  1910,  the  Republican  State  Convention  nominated 
Judge  Kuhn  for  the  office  of  attorney  general,  and  he  was  elected  for 
the  full  term  at  the  ensuing  election.    In  September,  1912,  Governor  Os- 


1958  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

born  appointed  Judge  Kuhn  associate  justice  of  the  Michigan  Supreme 
Court  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  the  late  Judge  Blair,  and 
at  the  Republican  State  Convention  held  the  same  year  he  was  nominated 
to  complete  the  full  term  of  Judge  Blair,  and  was  sent  to  that  office  at 
the  following  election.  His  term  will  expire  in  1918.  Judge  Kuhn  estab- 
lished his  residence  in  Detroit  in  July,  1913,  having  formerly  resided  at 
Lansing.  While  Judge  Kuhn's  rise  to  his  present  exalted  position  has 
been  rapid,  it  has  been  fairly  earned.  No  one  has  ever  had  cause  to  doubt 
his  mental  strength  or  his  deep  and  thorough  knowledge  of  law  and 
jurisprudence.  His  decisions  have  ever  indicated  a  strong  mentality  and 
careful  analysis,  and  the  discovery  has  yet  to  be  made  that  he  has  ever 
been  other  than  impartial. 

Judge  Kuhn  was  married  to  Mrs.  Mina  C.  Burton,  who  was  born 
in  Richmond,  \'irginia.  and  they  have  one  daughter,  W'ilhelmina  Ann.  who 
was  born  in  191 1.  Judge  Kuhn  is  a  member  of  the  various  Masonic 
bodies,  including  Romeo  Commandery  No.  6,  Knights  Templar,  and  Mos- 
lem (Detroit)  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  past  grand  chancellor 
of  Michigan  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  a  valued  member  of  the  Uni- 
versity Club  and  the  Detroit  Boat  Club. 

\ViLLi.\M  F.  M.\LOW.  Now  at  the  head  of  ^lalow  Brothers,  William 
F.  ;\Ialow  has  for  nearly  twenty  years  been  identified  with  the  building 
interests  of  Detroit,  and  is  one  of  the  successful  contractors  in  the  city. 
In  the  modern  city's  development  few  firms  have  taken  a  more  conspicu- 
ous part  as  builders  than  this  one.  Only  a  few  examples  can  be  selected 
and  mentioned  to  indicate  the  extent  of  their  enterprise.  They  took  part 
in  constructing  the  first  Ford  automobile  factory  and  erected  the  trussed- 
concrete  building  at  the  corner  of  Lafayette  boulevard  and  Wayne  street. 
They  also  erected  the  Country  Club  building  in  Crosse  Pointe ;  the  fine 
residences  of  Henry  Ford,  of  John  Dodge,  of  H.  E.  Dodge ;  the  Fisher's 
Woodward  Arcade;  the  original  building  of  the  Addison  apartment  hotel, 
and  the  firm  has  just  completed  an  addition  to  that  hotel  costing  three 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

\\'illiam  F.  ^lalow  is  a  native  of  Michigan,  born  on  a  farm  four  miles 
north  of  Mt.  Clemens.  October  21,  1868,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Sophia 
(Priehs)  Malow.  Both  parents  were  natives  of  Mecklinburg,  Germany, 
and  were  both  born  in  the  same  year,  1836.  After  their  marriage  in  the 
old  country  they  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1857.  The  father  was 
already  thoroughly  trained  in  tlie  trade  of  wagon  maker,  and  continued 
in  that  line  in  ]\Iaconil3  county,  where  he  first  settled  on  reaching  this 
country.  In  later  }ears  he  retired  to  his  farm,  and  continued  actively  as 
an  agriculturist  until  1904.  That  year  he  moved  to  Litica.  Michigan,  and 
now  lives  retired.    The  mother  died  in  1908. 

William  F.  Malow  was  reared  on  the  farm  in  Macomb  county  until 
eighteen.  In  1886.  going  to  Detroit,  he  learned  carpentry  under  his  older 
brother,  Martin  Malow.  Two  years  were  spent  as  a  journeyman  carpen- 
ter in  Detroit,  and  also  two  years  in  Cleveland,  followed  by  a  similar 
time  in  Detroit,  and  in  1897  he  began  contracting  as  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Malow  Brothers.  His  brother  Martin  had  long  been  identified  with 
the  building  interests  of  the  city.  In  1907  W'illiam  acquired  the  interest 
of  his  brother  in  the  firm,  and  is  now  sole  owner,  but  retains  the  old  and 
well  known  firm  name  of  Malow  Brothers. 

Mr.  ^lalow  is  one  of  the  ])opular  members  of  the  Detroit  P.uilders  & 
Traders  Exchange,  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce,  and  of  the  Rotary 
Club.  He  and  family  worship  in  the  German  Lutheran  church.  Mr. 
Malow  married  Flora  Rieck,  who  was  born  in  Michigan,  a  daughter  of 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1959 

William  Rieck  of  Utica.    To  their  marriage  have  been  born  three  children, 
Arnold,  who  is  bookkeeper  for  his  father,  and  Esther  and  Eleanor. 

Hon.  George  Willard  Bridgmax.  The  sound  judgment,  the  well- 
balanced  mind,  and  freedom  from  bias  that  is  demanded  in  those  prac- 
titioners of  the  law  who  are  ultimately  honored  by  elevation  to  the  bench, 
is  well  exemplified  in  Judge  George  \\'illard  Bridgman,  an  honored  resi- 
dent of  Benton  Harbor,  and  judge  of  the  Second  Michigan  Judicial  Cir- 
cuit. Judge  Bridgman  comes  of  famous  Xew  England  ancestry  and  was 
born  at  Lee,  Massachusetts,  July  4,  1848.  His  parents  were  George  and 
Sarah  (Cowles)  Bridgman,  and  the  family  ancestry,  reaching  to  an  Eng- 
lish source,  later  became  signally  distingviished  in  the  intellectual  life  of 
the  colony  of  Massachusetts. 

George  Bridgman,  tlie  father  of  Judge  Bridgman,  was  born  at  Belcher- 
town,  Hampshire  county,  Massachusetts,  in  October,  1813,  and  was  a 
son  of  Ebenezer  Bridgman,  also  a  native  of  Belchertown,  who  married 
Abigail  Willard.  She  was  born  at  Petersham,  Massachusetts,  and  was  a 
descendant  of  .Simon  Willard,  who  was  the  English  founder  of  that  fam- 
ily in  Massachusetts,  where  it  was  prominent  for  generations.  From 
this  ancestor  came  Samuel  Willard,  who  was  the  first  president  of  Har- 
vard College :  his  son,  also  Samuel,  was  also  president  of  this  noted  in- 
stitution of  learning.  It  was  the  third  Samuel  Willard  who  was  the 
noted  blind  Unitarian  preacher  and  distinguished  author,  of  Deerfield, 
Massachusetts.  Another  Willard  known  to  fame  was  Joseph  Willard, 
brother  to  Abigail,  who  was  the  architect  of  the  Bunker  Hill  monument. 
At  Amherst,  Massachusetts,  George  Bridgman  married  Sarah  Cowles, 
who  was  born  at  Amherst,  in  1814,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Cowles  of  Massachusetts.  Her  maternal  grandmother  was  Esther  Graves, 
who  was  a  daughter  of  Eliphat  Graves,  who,  with  his. five  brothers, 
served  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  In  1856  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bridgman  came 
to  Michigan,  in  which  state  they  spent  the  rest  of  their  lives.  In  Massa- 
chusetts, Mr.  Bridgman  was  a  manufacturer  of  carriages  in  early  busi- 
ness life  and  later  was  connected  with  the  Hosotowac  Railroad  Company. 
W'hen  he  came  to  Michigan  he  located  in  Lake  township,  Berrien  county, 
at  a  point  then  known  as  Charlottville,  now  as  Bridgman,  a  station  of  the 
Pere  Marquette  Railway,  where  he  engaged  for  some  years  in  the  lum- 
ber business,  later  turning  his  attention  to  fanning.  His  death  occurred 
in  icjoi.  He  was  a  man  of  influence  in  Berrien  county,  interested  in  its 
progress  and  development  but  never  accepted  public  honors.  Originally 
a  Whig,  in  later  years  he  became  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party. 

George  Willard  Bridgman  attended  the  public  schools,  including  the 
high  school  course  and  also  enjoyed  instruction. from  private  tutors.  In 
1861  before  making  a  choice  of  career,  he  was  appointed  to  a  position  in 
the  LTnited  States  Treasury  Department  at  Washington  and  spent  seven 
years  in  the  national  capital.  While  there  he  studied  law,  taking  the  reg- 
ular law  course  in  the  Columbian,  now  the  George  Washington  I'niver- 
sity,  and  was  there  graduated  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.,  in  1S68,  and  in 
June  of  that  year  was  admitted  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  District  of 
Columbia,  to  the  practice  of  law.  In  1872  he  returned  to  Michigan  and 
two  vears  later  was  admitted  to  the  Michigan  bar  and  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  his  old  home  section.  In  1884  he  formed  a  law  part- 
nership with  George  H.  Clapp,  at  Xiles,  Michigan,  under  the  style  of 
Qapp  &  Bridgman,  which  became  one  of  the  dominating  law  firms  of  the 
state  and  the  association  continued  until  1889,  when  Air.  Bridgman  was 
elected  prosecuting  attorney,  which  was  followed  bv  his  re-election.  In 
1891  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  resumed  private  practice  and 


1960  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

continued  until  the  spring  of  191 1,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  Circuit 
bench  for  a  term  of  six  years.  His  ideals  of  the  legal  profession  have 
always  licen  high  and  in  i)ractice  he  has  lived  up  to  them,  thereby  gaining 
the  public  confidence  that  made  his  elevation  to  the  bench  a  matter  of 
general  congratulation  among  this  law-abiding  people.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Berrien  County  Bar  Association. 

Judge  Bridgman  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Thyrza  Chamber- 
lain, of  Cherry  \'alley,  Illinois,  who  is  a  daughter  of  .\lfred  .A.,  and  Xancy 
E.  (^longer)  Chamberlain.  Judge  and  Mrs.  I'.ridgman  have  three  chil- 
dren: Ida  C,  who  married  George  Schairer,  of  Benton  Harbor;  George 
C,  who  is  engaged  in  the  drug  business  at  Benton  Harbor;  and  Emma  C, 
who  is  the  wife  of  William  H.  Howard,  Jr.,  of  St.  Joseph,  Michigan. 
Judge  Bridgman  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason  and  an  Elk  and  Knight  of  Pythias. 

James  Ch.arles  W.\rd.  In  the  Detroit  building  trades  no  firm  has  a 
record  which  includes  more  notable  examples  of  building  construction 
than  that  of  J.  C.  Ward  &  Son,  mason  contractors.  J.  C.  Ward  himself 
has  been  identified  with  the  Ijusiness  activities  of  Detroit  for  more  than 
forty  years,  and  his  rise  to  success  has  been  through  the  avenue  of  hard 
work,  first  at  his  trade,  wdth  progressive  responsibilities  and  eventually  to 
an  indejiendent  business  of  his  own. 

James  Charles  Ward  was  born  in  Xew  York  state,  at  Brazier  Falls  on 
the  St.  Lawrence  river,  June  2,  1855.  His  parents  w'ere  Patrick  and 
Anna  (White)  Ward.  Both  were  natives  of  County  Sligo,  Ireland,  came 
to  America  when  young  and  single,  and  were  married  in  New  York  state. 
From  there  they  moved  across  the  boundary  to  Ontario,  and  for  several 
years  Patrick  Ward  was  employed  at  different  points  along  the  Welland 
canal  during  the  construction  of  that  great  waterway.  B.oth  parents  died 
iu  Canada,  and  were  members  of  the  Catholic  church. 

The  years  from  five  to  fifteen  James  C.  Ward  spent  with  his  jiarents 
in  Canada.  His  education  from  books  was  of  an  average  amount,  but  was 
less  important  in  his  career  than  his  ready  industry  and  thorough  training 
as  a  young  man.  When  still  a  boy  he  began  learning  the  trade  of  brick- 
making  in  Canada,  and  had  made  such  progress  that  when  he  came  to 
Detroit  in  1872,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  was  able  to  command  a  jour- 
neyman's wages.  His  first  employer  in  Detroit  was  Mr.  Albright,  the 
pioneer  contractor.  .Subsequently  he  was  with  Joseph  Dietz.  first  as 
journeyman,  then  as  manager,  then  as  partner,  and  for  a  period  altogether 
of  more  than  twenty  years.  After  two  years  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Deitz  &  Ward,  mason  contractors,  Mr.  Ward  bought  out  his  partner, 
and  then  continued  in  business  under  his  own  name.  Like  the  majority 
of  successful  organizations  of  that  kind,  Mr.  W^ard's  beginning  was  on  a 
modest  scale,  employing  a  few  men  and  witli  limited  capital  resources. 
The  business  developed  from  year  to  year,  and  his  reputation  became 
established  as  one  of  the  leading  mason  contractors  of  the  city.  In  1912 
I\lr.  Ward  formed  the  firm  of  J.  C.  Ward  &  .Son,  taking  into  partnership 
his  oldest  son.  William  C.  In  a  brief  sketch  only  the  more  notaljle  con- 
tracts successfully  handled  by  Mr.  Ward  can  be  mentioned.  They  include 
some  of  the  finest  residences,  factories  and  business  houses  in  the  city. 
Mr.  \\'ard  put  up  the  addition  to  the  old  Ford  Motor  Works,  the  large 
factory  of  Edmund  &  Jones,  the  Jewish  Synagogue  on  Farnsworth  street 
between  Beaubien  and  St.  Antoine  streets,  and  most  conspicuous  of  ;ill  is 
the  Windeman  residence,  regarded  as  one  of  the  finest  and  most  costly  in 
the  city. 

In  the  Detroit  Builders  and  Traders  Exchange  Mr.  Ward  is  one  of 
the  influential  members,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Detroit  Master  Masons 


HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN  1961 

Association.     Fraternally  he  is  a  IMaccabee,  and  his  church  is  St.  Leo's 
Catholic. 

His  tirst  wife  was  Mary  Taylor,  who  died  leaving  two  sons :  William 
C,  junior  member  of  the  tirm  of  J.  C.  Ward  &  Son;  and  James  Francis, 
a  brick  maker,  also  associated  with  the  firm.  Mr.  Ward  married  for  his 
second  wife  Mrs.  Bessie  (Pickup)  Blackburn  of  Detroit,  who  was  born 
in  Yorkshire,  England. 

GoTTLOB  C.  Leibraxd.  At  the  head  of  the  corporations  department 
of  the  department  of  the  Secretar}'  of  State,  and  e.x-prosecuting  attorney 
of  Gladwin  county,  ^Michigan,  Gottlob  C.  Leibrand  is  probably  one  of  the 
best  known  men  in  the  official  and  professional  life  of  the  state.  Al- 
though his  career  has  not  covered  as  many  years  as  those  of  some  of  his 
official  brethren,  it  has  been  characterized  by  such  activity,  faithful  devo- 
tion and  general  usefulness  as  to  place  his  name  favorably  before  the 
people,  and  to  make  him  one  of  the  influential  Republicans  of  the  state. 
Mr.  Leibrand  is  an  Ohioan,  born  at  Canton,  Stark  county,  June  4,  1870, 
and  is  a  son  of  Christian  and  Catherine  Leibrand,  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many. The  father  followed  the  vocation  of  teacher  of  vocal  music,  and 
died  in  the  year  following  that  in.  which  his  son,  our  subject,  was  born, 
and  the  mother  married  again  and  in  1876  came  to  Isabella  county, 
Michigan. 

Gottlob  C.  Leibrand  secured  his  primary  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Isabella  county,  and  was  reared  to  the  pursuits  of  agriculture.  On  at- 
taining his  majority  he  started  upon  a  career  of  his  own,  but  remained 
on  the  farm  and  continued  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil  until  1907.  It  had  long 
been  his  ambition  to  follow  a  professional  career,  and  in  that  year  he 
began  to  study  law  under  a  preceptor,  although  he  had  previously  taken 
a  law  course  in  a  correspondence  school.  In  1907  he  entered  the  Detroit 
College  of  Law,  receiving  one  year's  credit,  and  in  the  class  of  1909  was 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  During  that  same  year 
Mr.  Leibrand  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  immediately  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  his  calling,  at  Beaverton,  Gladwin  county.  The  ne.xt  year 
marked  his  entrance  into  public  life,  when,  as  a  Republican,  he  was  elected 
to  the  office  of  county  attorney  of  Gladwin  county,  and  moved  his  offices 
and  transferred  his  activities  to  Gladwin,  the  county  seat.  Mr.  Leibrand 
served  four  years  in  that  office,  and  so  ably  did  he  discharge  the  duties 
devolving  upon  him  that  June  4,  1914,  he  was  appointed  to  his  present 
position  in  the  Department  of  State.  Here  he  is  rapidly  establishing  a 
reputation  that  promises  much  for  his  future  political  career. 

Mr.  Leibrand  has  long  been  prominent  in  Grange  matters  and  during 
his  earlier  years  did  much  to  promote  the  agricultural  interests  of  the 
communities  in  which  he  resided.  He  was  well  and  favorably  known  in 
Isabella  county,  where  he  served  as  supervisor  for  some  time,  and  always 
was  foremost  in  the  support  of  Re])ublican  policies.  In  May,  1914,  Mr. 
Leibrand  was  a  delegate  to  the  "welfare"  Republican  convention,  held  at 
Detroit.  Mr.  Leibrand  takes  some  interest  in  fraternal  matters,  and  is  a 
popular  member  of  Beaverton  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M..  in  which  he  has  numer- 
ous friends. 

In  1901  Mr.  Leibrand  was  married  to  ]\Iiss  INIinnie  Kilborn,  who  was 
born  in  Saginaw,  Michigan.  Her  father  came  from  Canada  when  a  young 
man  and  served  in  an  Indiana  volunteer  regiment  of  infantry.  Three 
children  have  been  Ijorn  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leibrand:  Carl,  born  in  1902; 
Dorothy,  l)orn  in  1904:    and  Raljih,  born  in  1906. 

Hon.  Samuel  \\'.  Smith.  As  representative  from  the  Sixth  Con- 
gressional District  of  Michigan  in  Congress  since  March  1897,  ]\Ir.  Smith 


1962  HISTORY  OF  MICHIGAN 

is  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  this  state's  delegation  at  Washington, 
and  his  services  and  ability  have  ranked  him  as  one  of  the  most  useful 
men  in  the  national  legislature.  His  public  career  began  with  the  office 
of  prosecuting  attorney  of  Oakland  county  in  1880,  and  he  has  for  many 
years  been  one  of  the  prominent  attorneys  at  Pontiac. 

Samuel  William  Smith  was  born  in  Independence  township,  Oakland 
county,  Michigan,  August  23d,  1852,  son  of  Nicholas  B.  and  Mary 
(Phillips)  Smith.  His  father,  a  native  of  Monroe  county,  New  York, 
was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Oakland  county,  and  in  1841  he  began 
the  improvement  of  eighty  acres  of  wild  land  in  Brandon  township  of 
Oakland  county.  Some  years  later  he  bought  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Independence  township,  where  Samuel  \\'.  Smith  was  born, 
and  the  latter  part  of  his  active  career  was  spent  as  a  merchant  in  the 
village  of  Clarkston.  His  wife  was  born  in  New  York  in  1825,  came  as 
a  girl  with  her  parents  to  Oakland  county,  and  died  there  in  1856. 

Samuel  \\".  Smith  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Clarkston, 
in  the  Detroit  schools,  and  was  graduated  from  the  Law  Department  of 
the  Universitv  of  ^Michigan  in  1878.  Admitted  to  the  bar  in  1877,  he  be- 
gan his  regular  practice  at  Pontiac.  and  for  many  years  was  associated 
with  the  late  Judge  Levi  B.  Taft  until  .the  latter's  death.  For  a  number 
of  vears  the  Oakland  county  bar  has  had  no  more  successful  attorney  than 
Mr.  Smith. 

His  attention  has  been  pretty  well  divided  between  law  and  politics 
for  more  than  thirty  years.  Beginning  as  a  practically  unknown  young 
attorney  he  has  achieved  a  place  among  the  national  leaders  in  aiifairs. 
In  1880  the  Repubhcan  party  of  Oakland  county  elected  him  prosecuting 
attorney,  an  office  he  held  until  1884.  This  was  followed  in  the  latter 
vear  bv  his  election  as  state  senator  from  the  Fifteenth  Senatorial  Dis- 
trict. 

In  1896  Mr.  Smith  was  first  chosen  to  represent  the  Sixth  Michigan 
District  in  Congress,  and  his  service  has  been  continuous  since  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Fifty-fifth  Congress.  In  1912  he  was  re-elected  for  his  ninth 
consecutive  term.  In  Congress  he  has  given  his  support  and  has  cham- 
pioned much  important  legislation.  He  has  been  recognized  as  one  of  the 
foremost  advocates  of  government  ownership  of  telegraphs  and  tele- 
phones. His  speech  delivered  in  the  House  of  Representatives  'Sla.y  2fith, 
1906.  has  everywhere  been  regarded  as  an  authority  on  this  subject.  He 
spent  much  time  on  this  speech,  and  he  does  not  believe  that  a  single 
fact  or  statement  in  the  same  can  be  successfully  controverted.  He  also 
advocated  at  a  time  when  it  was  not  so  popular  to  do  so,  the  abolition  of 
railroad  passes,  telegraph  and  express  franks  and  a  reasonable  reduction 
in  express  rates.  He  had  no  desire  to  injure  the  express  companies,  and 
has  often  been  heard  to  say  that  if  the  express  companies  had  made  a 
fair  reduction,  it  would  have  delayed  the  establishment  of  parcels  post 
for  many  vears.  He  also  favored  a  reduction  in  railway  mail  pay,  believ- 
ing that  the  government  was  paying  too  much  for  this  service ;  which 
subject  is  again  receiving  a  great  deal  of  attention  in  the  Sixty-third  Con- 
gress. It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  Bourne  Commission  will  make  such  a 
report  as  Congress  can  adopt  and  one